Hidden Stars and Quiet Souls
by WiccaWoman17587
Summary: In the future, our destiny is not our own. Children serve a higher purpose. Their age and innocence is sacrificed for progress. When Quinn finds a girl in need of help, how much is she willing to give to help her heal? AU, Faberry. T for the moment, but rated M for future chapters. Other Glee characters involved but also OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I know I am supposed to be working on the second part of Beneath The Surface, and I am, I promise. But this story has been consuming my thoughts so I'm giving in a posting it. It maybe a little slow going on getting it out, so I hope you stick with me. Between this fic, BTS 2.0 and a few others that I'm working on, I'm being pulled in too many directions for any consistency. **

**I hope you like this, and that it makes some kind of sense (probably not contextually but the writing should, I hope) and that you have enough patience to come with me on this journey. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Glee, everything else is mine.**

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She stumbled through the cold hard streets, blind to everything but the single thought that spurred her on. Her hands flailed frequently, grasping for unseen supports before falling to her knees. Her bloody clothes were in tatters and hanging off her skinny, gaunt frame. A mass of thin silver scars gracing her body could be seen, a stark contrast to her tanned skin. I watched her pass, unfeeling, devoured by my own fears. I wondered briefly if she had a family, friends missing her, but it was nothing more than a fleeting thought, gone before it ever really registered. I resumed my search for food, picking carefully through the large bin in the alleyway as my stomach rumbled its usual protest at the lack of sustenance. I mentally assured it that it would have food soon enough.

Just as I found a left over hotdog, only a few hours old, a hand whipped past me and snatched it out of my hand and I turned my head to see it disappear into the mouth of the girl with the scars. As she swallowed it I threw out my hand wrapping it around her throat and forced her back against the brick wall. I balled my other hand into a fist and held it up next to my head, making my intentions very clear. Her chocolate eyes shone with fear instantly but the firm set of her jaw showed an acceptance of the violence. I glanced down at her and noticed the unmistakable outline of her rib cage and hip bones. Pity filled my heart and I let go of her and stepped back letting her drop easily to the floor, her eyes staring at a fixed point behind me.

I sighed heavily and returned to my task of finding something to eat, sliding my gaze across to her every so often, curiosity filling me. Having found nothing worth eating in the bin I wandered further down the alley to another stand of bins. I whipped around at the shuffling behind me, relaxing slightly when I saw it was her. She looked at me pleadingly, tears lining her dull eyes, threatening to fall.

"What's your name?"

I almost surprised myself with the question. I hardly ever cared about the ones old enough to take care of themselves but there was something about this one. Though she seemed small I put her at sixteen or seventeen. Her face belied her body; lines carved her age, plain for all to see and her eyes held a tiredness that had nothing to do with a lack of sleep. She looked at me with a wariness that comes with a long period of distrusting everyone around you. She brought a grimy hand to her chopped brown hair, though I guessed it wasn't always this short; her hand run past the tips of her hair and she seemed surprised there was no more. She repeated the motion, pushing the hair out of her face.

"Why?" She answered with suspicion, I understood. Names are important down here, among the rats and sewage. Names imply attachment. Attachment isn't a good idea because you might not be around for very long. Attachment means you will get hurt. If she didn't want to tell me I wasn't going to push her. I turned and continued rummaging through the garbage. I knew I needed a good haul tonight, but it was too early for the restaurant bins yet. I felt hands grab onto my arms, trying to turn me around and I let her.

"My name? I…." Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Her eyes searched my face as if trying to find the answers in me and her hands gripped my upper arms harder. She swayed slightly to the left and her eyelids fluttered before frustration filled her face and she swore. "God dammit. I can't remember my name. They even took that from me."

The tears that had threatened to fall made good on that, and carved wet tracks down her dirty cheeks as she began to sob uncontrollably. I pulled her into my arms and whispered soft words into her ear. I told her it would be okay, that They wouldn't touch her again, that I would take her somewhere safe. My usual defensive stance melted at the sight of this beautiful girl crying her heart out. After a few minutes she collected herself and took a step back.

"I'm sorry."

I looked at her with my eyebrows raised. "You're sorry? For what?"

She gestured around us and I followed the movement with my eyes, not understanding what it exactly it was she was referring to. I fixed my gaze back on her and she shrugged helplessly.

"I was hungry," she supplied. She was apologising for the food. "I am hungry," she corrected with a sigh. I nodded and took her hand. She immediately intertwined her fingers with mine and I frowned at the action. It felt nice, natural even. I ran my eyes over her face one more time, looking past the gaunt, hollow cheeks and layers of grime, trying to see the girl she used to be. There was nothing familiar about her. She returned my stare, unwavering in her fear but strong at the same time. In that moment I resolved to find out what had happened to her, but for now I merely tugged her into step with me. She covered the back of my hand with her other one and gripped onto me as if I was her only lifeline. I conceded that I may well be her only shot at survival in the city.

I took the long route to the shelter, avoiding the tolls and barricades they had set up in the roads; doubling back on myself a few times, just in case someone caught our trail and tried to follow. After twenty minutes we were stood in front of the makeshift metal door that was the entrance of the refuge I had created. I knocked out the agreed rhythm and waited for the shuffling behind the metallic barrier to die down. I counted to five then said the password.

"Open sesame." With a quiet rasp the metal parted and I ducked into the space created. The small brunette was more hesitant to enter. I was stopped by the tug on my arm and I turned to see what the problem was. She had pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and was shaking her head at me vehemently. I stepped back out and stooped down a few inches to meet her eyes. "It's okay. It's safe here." I cupped her cheek with my free hand and tried not to take offense when she flinched back slightly at the contact. I sighed deeply through parted lips and made to pull my hand back. In a flash, her fingers were pressing my palm into her cheek as tears rimmed her big brown eyes.

I stroked my thumb over her skin and nodded at her; a question in my frown. She stepped forward. "Okay," she whispered at me, fingers still gripping both my hands tightly. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze then righted myself before turning back and walking through the entrance. She put up no resistance this time and followed me into the long corridor. I stopped briefly as the young boy on the gate slid the door back into position then set the locks in place. He picked up the small lantern and walked ahead of us, lighting the way through the twisting maze of passages that lead into the bowels of the city.

I glanced back to see the girl was wide eyed and nervous; her bottom lip was firmly planted between her teeth as she worried at it incessantly. I smiled at her, hoping to ease her anxieties, and was rewarded with a shy and tentative smile in return. After a few more twists and turns the passage opened out into a large entry room with several doors leading out. A few of the younger kids that were hanging around ran towards me as I entered the room. Sally, the youngest wrapped her arms around my legs and held on tightly.

"Lucy! You were gone ages," she admonished. I knelt and wrapped one arm around her shoulders before leaning back and looking at her. Her light brown hair was just long enough to brush her shoulders and her tawny eyes spoke of her heritage. She was five years old, but born in a lab; modified to increase her intelligence and develop other special abilities. I stole her from them when she was three. She was already capable of things that were well beyond her age, even then.

"I'm sorry kiddo. I found someone new that needs our help." I gestured to the girl still hanging onto my hand. She was looking around at the other children suspiciously, eyes flitting from one to the other but never really seeing them. Sally stepped forward and extended her hand.

"Hi," she said sweetly. The brunette stepped behind me, her fear evident.

"Her eyes," she whispered against my shoulder blade. I turned to her to relieve the pressure building in my wrist and ducked my head to grab her attention.

"It's okay. She's a good kid." She stared at me for a few seconds and I could almost see the thoughts flying around in her head. Eventually she bobbed her head softly. I felt the corners of my mouth tug up a little and she returned the gesture. I gave her hand another quick squeeze before I stood to my full height and called to the rest of the kids milling around. "Come here guys." They all stopped what they were doing and made their way towards the three of us, ending up in a semi-circle. I turned to a boy of eight. He had short brown hair; spiked messily to look cool and soft cocoa eyes. "Evening report Rob?" He nodded and stepped forward.

"Three teams have returned with a good haul. One team is still out but they should be back any minute. Josie nearly got tagged but was able to slip into the sewers to avoid them." I gasped.

"Did she get back okay?" I asked, concern plain in my voice. To come so close to the patrols was careless and put the rest of the team in danger. To go into the sewers was akin to suicide unless you knew your way; even then it was still highly risky. I took a breath to try and calm my rapidly beating heart. Rob nodded at me and I felt a wave of relief wash through me.

"She did. She took a minor bite to the wrist but Claire is keeping an eye on it." I bobbed my head at him in thanks and he stepped back. I sighed tensely as the surge of adrenaline wore off and remembered the terrified girl clinging to me. I pulled her forward slightly.

"Guys, this is-" I paused as I realised I didn't have a name for her, "This is our newest member. She is a bit nervous so go easy on her okay?" The group nodded as a whole and then dispersed, only Sally staying for a second longer to wave goodbye to the scared brunette. She raised her hand in response but didn't return the motion. Sally skipped off into another room and I was left only with the girl. "Come on," I requested softly. She complied easily and I led her through the last door on the left; into the sleeping area I shared with older ones. I stood her next to my bed and told her wait while I acquired some sheets and blankets.

"What is this place?" She probed quietly while I laid out the cloth on the floor. I padded out the sheets with an old comforter then folded over the blankets and gestured for her to sit. I watched as she lowered herself then I joined her; noting the wince that twisted her face when she sat down.

"It's a safe haven and shelter for orphaned or rescued kids." I answered simply, though the real explanation was a great deal more complicated than that. She took that in then shifted tensely, grimacing again as she moved. "Are you hurt?" I enquired softly. Fear flashed in her deep brown eyes again and she started worrying her bottom lip between her teeth once more. She searched my face for something then, seemingly having found it, nodded gently. "Will you show me?" I requested carefully, sitting as still as I could. Her gaze flicked away for a second then ticked back to my face.

Without really answering my question she shifted onto her knees and turned around. She reached over her shoulders and gathered as much of the thin material covering her back as she could before lifting it over her head. I gasped as her skin was uncovered. From the base of her neck to the bottom of spine were sliver scars; zigzagging across each other. Some were mere slits; less than a millimetre thick, but some were a good inch wide with ragged edges. I swallowed hard as I spied burn marks forming a pattern-less mosaic of welts. I lifted my fingers to the top of her vertebrae and drew a line down her spine, feeling each ridge and bump that elevated her skin. When I was on par with the sharp shape of her hip bones I noticed the source of her discomfort. Thick rectangular bruises covered the area, emphasised with deep puncture marks. I noticed the girl shiver as my finger grazed the tip of a bruise. "Sorry," I supplied quickly and removed my finger from her skin.

She lifted the rag back over her head and covered the mass of wounds before turning back to face me. Her eyes were focused on the ground and her brow was furrowed. Remorse surged through me at the thought of hurting her and I opened my mouth to apologise again but she silenced me with a shake of her head as her gaze met mine.

"You didn't hurt me. No one has touched me that gently…" She trailed off and the weight of the guilt lifted ever so slightly. The urge to protect this fragile girl coursed through me, so strong that I took me by surprise.

"No one is going to hurt you ever again. I promise you that." She smiled sadly at me but shook her head.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep." She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs before resting her chin on her protruding kneecap. "Your name is Lucy?" She asked shyly. I tilted my head to the side and frowned.

"To the kids. You can call me Quinn." She nodded but looked puzzled. I sighed. "I haven't really been Lucy for years. She died when my parents did and I was captured." Her eyes opened wide in disbelief. "Since then I've used my middle name."

"I like Quinn," she whispered. I chuckled dryly.

"So do I, Sweet. So do I," I told her, the pet name falling from lips easily. "So, until we figure out your real name, we need something to call you." She fidgeted slightly and began chewing at the inside of her cheek. "Is there something you'd prefer?" I queried lightly.

"I like Paige," came a quiet voice from the doorway. I turned to see Sally and Amy; another youngster hovering in the rectangle of light. Amy was 6 and born naturally. Her parents had been captured and she was 'filed' away for future experiments before I found her. It was Amy that had spoken. I gestured for her to come closer.

"Why Paige?" I asked with a smile. She ducked her head timidly and tapped the toe of her buckled shoes against the hard floor.

"It was my best friends' name," she answered bashfully. "I always thought it was really pretty." She met the brunettes gaze briefly before looking away. I turned back to the girl.

"How does Paige sound for now?" Her eyes grazed the floor before meeting mine.

"Paige?" She rolled the name around in her mouth a couple of times, testing it out. After a minute or so she seemed to have made up her mind. "It's a nice name." She said simply. I allowed a small grin at the fact that we now had a name for her, but I vowed to myself that we would discover her real name.

Paige jumped as the bell rang out signalling meal time. She pushed backwards into the wall and I cringed in sympathy at the thought of those bruises being pressed. I held out my hand. "It's okay," I reassured her. "Do you want to get some food?" She nodded warily, still looking in the direction of the shrill noise. Eventually she took my outstretched hand and I helped her to her feet. We made our way out of the bedroom and through another door which lead to our canteen of sorts. At the head of the room was a long metal table with food sectioned out onto it. I lead Paige to the counter and encouraged her to help herself to as much as she needed.

We sat in a corner away from the hustle of hungry children and I picked at some bread. I waved at one of the foraging teams as they waited for the younger kids to take their pick. My attention was diverted as Josie walked in; a grubby bandage around her wrist. I excused myself and marched over to her, gesturing for her to follow me out of the room and into a small office space that was mostly disused. I shut the door and folded my arms across my chest.

"Can you explain to me what happened today?" It came out more as a demand than a request and I saw her balk. She absentmindedly picked at the grey dressing on her arm and looked everywhere in the room but at me.

"It was an accident," she started. "I saw a burger lying in its wrapper in one of the alleyways. I went across to pick up but as soon as I did, an alarm triggered." I stood up straighter and my arms fell limply to my sides.

"They're setting traps now?" I asked anxiously. She nodded and I indicted that she should continue.

"I ran to the back of the alley instead of out into the street and cut through the back paths but they were waiting. I took a side turn and the only way out was the sewer grate. I didn't have a chance to think, I just don't want to go back there." Her chest heaved as she began panicking. I sighed and strode forward to pull her into my embrace. Sometimes it was easy to forget she was only 13.

"It's okay. You're not going back. I won't let that happen." I rubbed her arms as I stepped back. "We need to advise the other teams that there are traps out there now." I pinched the bridge of my nose as a wave of weariness spread through my body, seeping into my bones. "What did Claire say about the bite?"

"It's fine; it's small. She gave me a jab just in case and I need to go back tomorrow to have the dressing changed, but it feels fine." I nodded my approval and reached over to open the door. Josie gave a half shrug and I knew that was the best I was going to get in the way of an apology. I followed her out and returned to the canteen to find Paige. She was sat in the same corner I had left her in, but Sally was sat with her, leg crossed, talking energetically at her. A gentle smirk lifted one corner of my mouth as I raised my eyebrow. The five year old was gesticulating to emphasis her story and as I got closer I realised she was telling Paige about how she was rescued from the facility.

Paige was leant forward, engrossed in the tale with wide eyes and her food all but forgotten. I leant one shoulder against the wall and listened to Sally. "So out of nowhere Lucy just appeared and hit the guard over the head with a piece of wood. The other guard turned and fired his gun at her and it hit her in the arm but she didn't feel it and threw the piece of wood at him. It got him in the face and he fell on the floor so she kicked him in the face and knocked him out." I winced at her portrayal of me in the story. It was true, or near enough, but I wasn't sure it was what Paige needed to hear about me at that particular time. "So then she let the three of us out of the shackles and then we fought our way out of there. Well. She fought her way out and we just followed her. But if we could've helped we would've and we would've been unstoppable."

The smirk returned to my face as I approached them. "You telling stories again, Sal?" I teased. Her head whipped around her mouth fell open into a little 'o' but she quickly recovered and shrugged.

"It's not like it's a made up story. You saved us." I ruffled her hair and jerked my head to the side. She got the hint and stood up before waving a goodbye to Paige. This time Paige waved back with a small smile on her face.

"Cute isn't she?" I asked as I held out my hand to Paige. She nodded and her grin got wider. "Are you tired?" I probed. She shrugged and I rolled my eyes in mock annoyance. "Come on, I want Claire to have a look at those wounds on your back." I gripped her hand and cheered silently when she came with me with no complaints.

Claire was happy that the puncture marks weren't as deep as they appeared but she gave me an ointment to apply before we went to sleep to keep the lesions clean and to help them heal. I gave her my word I would follow her instructions and we departed back to the bedroom area so I could try and get Paige settled. I found a few sets of clean clothes for her and averted my eyes while she changed into a black tank top and grey sweats. I quickly changed out of my own street clothes and into a large worn shirt; so big I didn't have to undo the buttons and a pair of shorts. I turned to see Paige looking at me.

"Won't you get cold in shorts?" She asked. I smiled at her concern but shook my head; my bobbed blond hair swished around my cheeks and tickled them.

"I'm a naturally a warm person." I filled in for her. I didn't want to tell her the full truth and I knew half-truths were just as bad as lies but talking about myself didn't come easily to me. Some of the experiments they had done on me had raised my body temperature well above that of a normal human. I remember the agony of fever the first time they did it. I felt like my insides were boiling and my heart was going to explode. After the fifth attempt and many injections they successfully raised my core temperature by 3 degrees. They continued until I began having an adverse reaction to the serum being administered. After that they kept me for observation purposes until I managed to break free and escape.

Paige shifted and I gestured for her to lie down. I lifted the hem of her tee and gently applied the cream to the harsh bruises, making sure to warm the salve up first. I wiped my fingers clean and lowered her top when I was done. "Sleep well, Sweet." I whispered as her head settled on the pillow. I tucked the blankets around her and waited until her breathing evened out and I was sure she was sleeping. She looked peaceful in slumber, the hard lines of her face smoothed out so she looked closer to her actual age. I flattened a stray lock of her brown hair and turned to retrieve my worn and battered book for behind my bed. I read on as the others began ambling in for the night. A whimper drew me from the words and I turned to see a tear sliding down Paige's cheek. I put the marker between the sheets of paper and tucked it back in the hidey-hole.

I dodged as Paige lashed an arm out and she whimpered again. She kicked for foot into the floor and scrunched her face up in pain. I reacted quickly and scooted the few inches from my own bed to hers; sliding under the covers and gently wrapping my arms around her waist. I kept my cheek to her shoulder blade to avoid her failing arms and concentrated on my heat. I pushed it out and within seconds I felt her warming up. I pressed my lips to her ear and whispered comforting words. "It's just a nightmare, Sweet. Come back to me, I've got you." After a few seconds she calmed and I withdrew most of the warmth, leaving a little emanating out so she didn't get cold. I was about to move back over when her hands covered mine and she tightened her grip so I couldn't move. With a sigh I settled next to her and she pressed back into me. I tried not to think about how nice it felt to have someone enveloped in my arms and instead concentrated on keeping my heat levels steady. I tried to fight the wave of fatigue that swept through me but I soon gave in and slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I got this written up a lot faster than I thought I would've, so yay me! Thank you for your interest so far, I have a good idea where this is going to go, but I'm not entirely sure how it's going to get there. As I said before, please be patient with me. **

**Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.**

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I woke to a mop of brown hair and clear chocolate eyes. I stretched lazily and realised that I was still tangled up with Paige. I jerked back and began apologising for invading her space but she silenced me with a quiet laugh and a shake of her head. "I was having a nightmare. I remember I was back in that place and then it was really warm. Suddenly I wasn't there anymore I was at home. My old home and I was a child again. Then I don't remember, but it was nice. I know that was you. You did that for me." I was dumbstruck for a second; that having been the longest thing she has said to me since I'd met her. Then I recovered with a blush and waved off her gratitude.

"I used to do it for the younger kids for a little while after they came here. They used to have to nightmares as well." She nodded to say she understood but made no move to distance herself from me. I glanced around the room and realised it must be early because most of the kids were still asleep; only one or two of the beds were empty. I looked back to Paige and frowned at the smirk on her face. "What?" I asked defensively.

"Your hair," she snarked. I pouted and ran my fingers through my short locks a few times to try and tame it. "You look like a lion," she giggled. I tried to maintain my scowl but found her laughter infectious and joined in. It was nice to hear her laugh and I made it a goal to get her to do that as much as possible.

"Are you hungry?" I enquired softly. She nodded gently, a small smile still playing on her lips. I cleared my throat and began unravelling myself from the mass of blankets and limbs. She watched me stand with a pink tinge to her cheeks and I tried to ignore my own flushed face as I grabbed my wash stuff. She followed me into the bathroom area and I found her a toothbrush and washcloth. She stared at me as I explained the different areas of the room.

"Where does the water come from?" She frowned.

"We collect rainwater. We also reuse the water." I laughed as she pulled a face. "We have a techie amongst us. Amber designed a system that cleans the water so we are able to reuse it." She looked at me in wonder and I tugged her towards the showers. They were in rows in a similar style to a school but the bottom few had plastic sheeting for curtains for the shy ones. Those were the ones I led Paige to. I showed her the soap dispenser on the wall and how it worked then pulled the plastic together to give her some privacy. I listened for a moment to the rustle of her removing her clothes before I pulled my own off. I took the shower next to her and turned the water on. I shivered as the cool water washed over me, revelling in the mass of gooseflesh that rose from my skin. I pushed the handle for the soap and foamed it into my hair first then over my body. I stepped back into the spray and washed all the bubbles from me. I turned the water off and grabbed two towels from the rack at the end of the room. I draped one over the pipework and began drying myself with the other.

I heard Paige shut the shower off as I finished towelling my hair. I cleared my throat and parted the curtains a little to pass her the remaining towel then withdrew my hand. I threw on my clothes and waited for Paige to step out from the makeshift cubicle. When she was ready I deposited the damp towels in the open bin and led her through to the canteen for some breakfast. We sat in the same corner as the previous night and I began pointing out noteworthy people in the room.

"So that's Amber," I pointed to a girl of 16 with long blond hair and crystal blue eyes, "She is the technical girl I mentioned before. They did something to boost her intelligence and now she is practically unstoppable." I moved her attention to a young boy with jet black hair and striking emerald eyes. "That's Christopher. He runs the team of scouts." I told her.

"What do the scouts do?" Paige asked, her eyes daring me to give the most obvious answer. I smirked and shook my head.

"They check the roads for new tolls or barricades and check out new scavenging grounds." I answered. She nodded thoughtfully and I waited for her to come out of her head.

"Are you in charge here?" Her gaze was boring a hole through my temple as I hung my head.

"No. Not really." I replied honestly. "Really," I insisted at her raised eyebrow. "It's hard to explain." She continued to look at me, one brow lifted in defiance.

"It's true." Christopher had approached us quietly and now interjected on my behalf. I watched Paige drop the attitude and fix him with a suspicious stare.

"Hey Chris," I teased, knowing he was one of the few that hated the shortened version of his name. One corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smirk as he dismissed my greeting, turning his attention back to Paige.

"It's true," he repeated. "She's just the most sensible one here. Oh, and the oldest." His pea green eyes glittered unnaturally, adding to the mischievous expression on his face. I shot a glare at him and he started laughing. He held out his hand to Paige as his amusement died down. "You must be Paige. Welcome to Hotel Tropicana. Where the food is usually crappy and the water's not always hot but we guarantee no experiments. It's a good deal huh?" I rolled my eyes at him but couldn't hold back the slight chuckle that escaped my throat. At 12, Chris was the oldest 'Synth' kid I had ever met. He was incredibly intelligent and fast. It was him that nicknamed the lab-produced children 'Synths'; short for synthesised. I often joked that perhaps he was half cat, half human due his extraordinary climbing abilities.

Paige was still staring at him, completely disregarding his outstretched hand. "It's okay Paige. He doesn't really do subtle." I captured her attention and she finally relaxed enough to take his hand in a loose grip. He shook it gently then backed off a few steps.

"You look old for one of them," Paige blurted out with a brashness I hadn't known she possessed. Chris took it in his stride and nodded with raised eyebrows.

"I am. Oldest one I've heard about. I think the others have a bet on when I'm going to croak." He gestured over his shoulder to the groups of kids eating their food with a chuckle. Paige's eyes grew wide with disbelief as she glanced around him to look at the other children in the room. After a second of gazing out at them she looked back at me, unsure of what to say.

"He's joking Paige," I reassured her. "He has the most inappropriate sense of humour for a Synth." Chris stuck his tongue out at me then waved his goodbye as a scout called his name.

"Synth?" She questioned. I smiled.

"It means synthesised. It's what we call the kids that were born in the labs." She nodded her understanding then twisted her mouth into a frown. "What?" I probed gently.

"How come they all look to you?" She asked after a few seconds of picking at the hem of her oversized sweater. I leant back against the wall and rested my head on the cold concrete.

"Honestly, I don't know. Just over four years ago I escaped the labs and took a few of the kids with me. We hid out in a factory basement until we were sure they weren't following us then we started organising ourselves. At some point they all started looking towards me for guidance and leadership but no one ever said that I was in charge and I never demanded they follow me. We just banded together and fell into a rhythm that seemed natural." I explained as articulately as I could. It was a difficult and strange time to try to put into words; one that was so full of fear but at the same time hope.

"But Sally said you took her two years ago…" She trailed off, confusion evident in her chocolate eyes. I grinned and shrugged lightly.

"We collectively decided to try and rescue as many kids as we could, even the lab made ones. It just so happened that they wanted to leave and use their talents with us." I felt a surge of warmth as I cast a glance out at the fugitives.

"What did they do to you?" Paige asked bluntly. I fixed my gaze on her hand before taking it in my own. I mentally pushed my heat through my fingers and palm into her skin. She stared at our connected limbs for a few seconds before she felt it. She jerked her hand away from me but I quickly grasped it again, tightening my hold and willed more heat to flow from me. I watched as her skin flushed a light pink from her wrist to her elbow then her neck to her face. She closed her eyes against the warmth and sighed gently. I relaxed the tension and placed her hand tenderly on her thigh. Her eyes snapped open at the loss of contact and her skin gradually returned to its normal light tan colour. "Oh," she breathed.

"It has its advantages," I joked as I gestured to my minimal layers of clothing. She smiled softly then worried at her lip.

"What do you think they did to me?" She whispered. I reached out for her hand again and she immediately intertwined her finger with mine.

"I don't know. But I promise you I will find out everything I can about you. Do you remember anything?" I queried delicately. She frowned quickly.

"I remember bits and pieces about the day I was taken. I can see my parents in shackles and the cell they put me in. After that it's just short flashes. Being on an operating table. Being in my cell with a couple others. Nothing that means anything or tells me anything." She almost growled in frustration and I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles.

"We'll find out. I promise," I reiterated. A shout to my right grabbed my attention. Amber was walking over to me with her 'idea' face. I patted Paige's hand and she dropped it back into her lap. "I'll be right back, okay?" She nodded and went back to picking at a crust of bread. I stood and gestured for Amber to follow me out of the canteen. "What's up?" I asked her when we were alone in the main atrium.

"Well, you know you wanted to try to get the schematics for the lab by the sea and the one they keep out in the fields to the north of the city?" I nodded for her to continue. "I think I've figured out a way." I took in her wide eyes sky blue eyes, gentle smile and animated hands.

"Okay. Give it to me," I requested.

"Well, you know that compound we shut down last week on Black Gate and Main? I think if I can hack into their system from there I can hook up to their main switchboard and access them. I've been working on a program that makes me invisible." I nodded again but stayed silent. I was never technically minded so I just let her carry on with whichever project she had on the go. "It's totally doable!" She added. I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"When are you thinking?" She grinned at me.

"Tomorrow. The patrols pass it 8pm, then again at 10pm. Two hours will be plenty of time."

"And they won't notice the power surge there?" I crossed my arms over my chest and leant against the wall.

"Not if we take our own power source. That way we won't be drawing from the grid so they shouldn't notice anything unusual. If they do, it'll be so miniscule that they probably won't investigate it, or it'll be too late because we'll be gone." I worried at my bottom lip, thinking her proposal over.

"Who do you need?"

"Well, Chris is going to scout it today to double-check it is empty. Then tomorrow I'll need Sandy and Abbey." She told me confidently before she hung her head and glanced up at me through her lashes. "I'd like you to come as well, if that's ok?" She added shyly. I smirked at her sudden bashfulness.

"Sure I'll come. I'll get a few others on board just in case there is any trouble. We'll leave at 7pm tomorrow night." She nodded and turned to walk away. "I'll ignore the fact that you went to Chris about this before you came to me." She spun back and matched my smirk.

"I thought you weren't in charge. Boss," she stuck her tongue out and mock saluted as she carried on towards the room that housed her equipment. I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. I wasn't the boss but I cared about the kids. If a team was going out I wanted to know where, when and why. It wasn't that I was controlling or wanted the power; it was to keep them safe. That's why foraging teams were assigned sections of the city. If they didn't come back on time, we knew where to look to try and find them, or at least find out what had happened to them. It was simple logic. Despite the fact no one had said I was in charge, it was generally an accepted rule that people clear things with me before they do them. It was a strange dynamic, and frustrating. But these kids didn't need someone to control them; they needed guidance and protection.

I sighed and made my way back to the food hall. Paige was no longer in the corner and my heart skipped a beat as I frantically scoured the room to find her. I noticed her mop of brown hair sat in a circle with a couple of other kids. I saw Rob and Sally sat either side of her, vying for her attention as they told her stories. The other three kids were all leaning forward listening intently, their position matching Paige's exactly even though they'd either already heard these stories or lived through them. I looked around and found Christopher sitting with his lead scout team. I ambled over to him, letting him finish his conversation then asked to speak to him. I took him to the side.

"Who are you taking to the compound on Black Gate and Main?" I probed, chuckling at his guilty expression.

"Amber made me promise me not to tell." He protested.

"What are you, five?" I laughed with a raised eyebrow. He blushed and cleared his throat. "I'm not angry; I just want this to be done right." He nodded and visibly relaxed.

"I was thinking about taking Noah, Tina and Mike." I bobbed my head and hummed my approval.

"I'll be coming with you. You, Tina and Mike take Main. Noah and I will take the alleys and loop around to meet you." I held out his fist and looked at me expectantly. I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes at him.

"You spend far too much time with Noah," I informed him as I turned back to see Paige watching me. I flashed her a smile and cheered silently when she returned it. I moved to crouch behind Sally. "Hey little bean, I need you to do me a massive favour today and tomorrow." She looked at me with wide, anxious eyes. "I need you to look after this one for me." I placed one hand on Paige's shoulder. She looked at me quizzically and I just smiled at her for now. Sally looked between us, her expression merging from excited to confused in seconds.

"Sure, I'd love that. But why?"

"Cause I have to go out somewhere for a while and I don't want Paige to be here alone." I explained patiently. Paige shot me a concerned look but I squeezed her shoulder gently and she nodded softly. "Okay?" Sally narrowed her eyes for a second then accepted. "Good. I'm going out soon so your mission starts now."

"Mission?" She echoed.

I hummed my confirmation. "Your mission is to entertain and play host to Miss Paige here." Her pale face lit up and she clapped her hands.

"What's my prize?" She bounced on her knees and waited. I shook my head with a wry smile.

"Anything you want," I told her with a chuckle.

"Anything?" She asked incredulously. I nodded and she squealed. "I need to think about this. Is that okay?" I let out a bark of laughter but agreed. She beamed at me then gripped Paige's hand. "We should go now; there is so much to see." Paige looked at me with a raised eyebrow but let Sally drag her out of the room with little resistance. I watched, bemused, until they were out of sight then excused myself from the remainder of the group. I walked into the sleeping area and stopped next to my bed; pulling a few items from the storage hole in the corner. I slipped out of my clothes and pulled on a black long-sleeved t-shirt and some black cargo pants along with a pair of black canvas shoes. I turned at a quiet cough and saw Paige hovering in the doorway.

"What's up?" I asked, noting the frown that furrowed her brow.

"Where are you going?" She sucked her lips between her teeth and looked over my shoulder, avoiding my eyes.

"I have to go out and get somethings set up for tomorrow," I answered vaguely. She nodded as if I had explained everything and stepped towards me. I watched her face, looking for a sign of how she was feeling but her expression was mostly passive with just a hint of worry in the way her eyes kept flicking around.

"Be careful," she ordered. I smiled and promised I would. "Please," she added as if not believing me. I took her hand in mine and pressed it to my chest.

"I swear I will be careful. I'm going to be with the best guys out there. Nothing is going to happen to me." I promised. She ducked her head but I could still see the worry in her eyes. She jumped as Sally's squeal cut through the air.

"There you are. I wondered where you disappeared to. Are you ready?" Paige nodded and cast another glance at me.

"Sally, you're not being bossy are you?" I teased gently. Her head whipped round to me and a look of mock hurt slid over her features.

"I'm never bossy. But I want to show Paige the library." I grinned at the look of excitement in her eyes and gestured that she could take Paige if she wanted to. I saw her smile at Sally as she was being tugged out of the room towards to other side of the atrium. I resumed my task and pulled a small charm out of a pouch. The faded and well-worn features of the silver teddy bear looked back at me with a smile. I rubbed the pad of my thumb over his face and thought of my parents. Unbidden, a memory rushed back to me. My parents on their knees, guns pointed at their heads as men in grey and khaki questioned them relentlessly. They refused to give them the answers they wanted. I closed my eyes against the scene playing out.

_"Where is she?"_

_"I don't know. She went out earlier; to see a friend. She didn't say who. She's not here." _

_I watched from a tiny slit in the wall. One of the guards aimed the butt of his gun at my father's nose. I gagged at the sickening crunch that echoed throughout the room but managed to keep quiet. I had no idea why they were looking so hard for me, but I was determined they weren't going to find me. I winced as Dad spit out the blood filling his mouth and coughed once. _

_"Stop lying to us and this will go a lot smoother, Russell." _

_"I'm not lying. I don't know where she is. I can't tell you anything else."_

_"Perhaps we can find a way to loosen your tongue."_

_I held my breath as one of the men cocked his gun and aimed it between my mother's eyes. Her gaze remained fixed to the hip of an op, never wavering or showing fear and my heart swelled at her resolute expression. _

_"3…"_

_"I don't…"_

_"2…"_

_"Know…"_

_"1…"_

_"Anything."_

_I jumped as the shot rang out and my mother's eyes flew wide open. A few seconds later she slid to the floor, eyes still wide but now glassy and vacant. I choked back my sobs but let the tears fall freely over my cheeks. My father let out a shout and tried to move to my mother's side but he was met with the back of someone's hand. I dug my nails into my thighs to try and take the pressure off my head but it didn't work and I merely drew blood for my efforts. _

_"Now. Tell us where she is or you'll meet the same fate."_

_My father straightened up and looked directly into the ops eyes, his fierce blue orbs shining with defiance. He took a deep breath then spat into his face._

_"Kiss my ass."_

_It took less than one second for the bullet to find its target and my father joined my mother on the floor as their blood flowed into the cream carpet. I buried my face in my arms and let out big gasps of air. When I eventually lifted my head and looked around, the sun had set over the city and my parents had been moved. The house was empty as I crawled from my hiding place and knelt next to the two patches of dried blood. _

I wiped a tear from my cheek and pocketed the charm; a gift from my mother on my tenth birthday. Every time I knew I was heading into enemy territory I took it with me, for luck. I didn't dwell on the memory. It wasn't so dissimilar from some other kids' recollections of the day they were taken. The wound never fully healed, but it got less painful with each passing day. I slipped on an old dark grey jacket and made my way to the small office room. On my way I saw Christopher and waved to him that I was ready. He nodded and disappeared into the tech room briefly before emerging with Tina, Noah and Mike. They followed me into the room and Tina shut the door. I perched on the edge of the desk and cleared my throat.

"I assume Chris has filled you in on what's happening?" I ignored the glare from Christopher and waited for the others to nod. We went over a simple plan that we could all agree on and split into our teams. Chris, Tina and Mike left first; taking the route underground that would bring them up a few blocks from the building. I glanced at Noah as I slipped a black beanie over my blond hair. His tan skin enhanced his light brown eyes and deepened his jet black hair. He looked at me nervously every couple of seconds until I turned to him, a gentle smile on my face.

"You ready then?" He returned the expression and practically jumped to the door in his haste to open it for me. I nodded my thanks as I brushed past him and we walked towards the front entrance of our hidden home. I felt eyes on me and when I turned I saw Paige's sad chocolate orbs watching me leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I seem to be going at a fairly steady pace with this. I'll try and update very Thursday. Thank you for everyone that has favorited/followed/reviewed this, it means a heck of lot. Please continue, I'm addicted lol. I need them!** **But seriously, all feedback, good or bad, is welcomed. Also if you have any questions I'm happy to answer.**

**Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.**

* * *

I slipped quietly through the alley, avoiding the noisy crunch of trash and stinking remains of rats, sparing a glance to the roof top to my left every now and then to check Noah's progress. We had decided for him to take the roof because he was a good jumper. One girl by herself presents less of a target than a tall-for-his-age, fifteen year old, scary-looking boy. If there were any problems he would be by my side in half a heartbeat, the thirty foot drop effortless for him. His perk of the experiments; leaping and jumping. A shuffle from behind me had me whipping round to meet source of the noise. I scanned the narrow alleyway suspiciously but relaxed when I saw a scruffy-furred cat leap from the mound of rubbish and shoot off in the opposite direction.

I allowed a quiet chuckle before I turned and continued on my journey towards the open mouth of the passageway. I crouched behind a large tin dumpster and peered out from behind my shield. Across the road sat the dark compound that was our target. I heard Noah whistle long and low before it was echoed back to us from the other side of the street. A few seconds later, with barely the whisper of moving fabric, Noah landed next me in a crouch. "We ready?" He asked; his body tense and buzzing with nervous energy. I lay my hand on his forearm, infusing my warmth through him.

"Calm down." I ordered and I immediately felt his muscles relax. "Let's go." I stood, slipped to the edge of the alley, keeping myself flat against the wall, and snuck a peek up and down the street. I heard gentle footsteps above me and realised Noah was back on the roof. With a gentle shake of my head I slipped out onto the pavement and noiselessly ran across the wide road. Once I was in the safety of the opposing passage I glanced out and saw Noah sail gracefully from one rooftop to the other, taking the same route as me. He dropped down behind me and I turned with a smirk. "Show off."

He shrugged and dusted off one shoulder. I rolled my eyes and darted past him to join Tina and Mike to the rear of the compound. "Where's Chris?" Noah asked quietly. The two Asians pointed at the wall of our target building but stayed silent. The twins, taken together and rescued together, rarely said anything these days but were so seamlessly in sync that no one could deny their connection. I heard a slight shuffle and Christopher emerged from a barely visible gap the wall.

"They suck at having secret doors. They're so easy to find." He smirked and held open the crack for us to enter. It was slow going at first, checking there were no traps or cameras but after about an hour we made pretty good headway.

"Amber is going to be stoked to see this." Noah enthused. I smiled knowingly at him and he blushed a soft pink. He was right though, this was Amber's version of a dream come true. All the equipment was still there and in good condition. I wondered why they hadn't moved it yet but chose not to be ungrateful for this. I would just have to make sure that she ran as many programs as she could to ensure there were no bugs or trackers ready to hack us. We found the relevant connection points and made a discrete note of them for when we came back tomorrow. We made our way back to the 'secret' door and slipped out allowing it to close gently and seal again.

Each group took the same routes back, though Noah and I stopped to watch the sun setting over the west gate house along the wall. The clouds parted enough to see the red and orange hues paint the sky. Noah leant into me and I laid my head on his shoulder, enjoying a few moments of peace. It was nice to be reminded there were still things of beauty in this cold, hard world that even The Minister couldn't take away. My mind flashed back to his first 'sermon', the day after he had risen to power.

_I stood in the crowd, herded like cattle and packed into the square. The city hall towered over us as we shivered in it shadow. The collective apprehension was apt; given the events that would follow. I shuffled my feet, bored already and father bent down slightly to rebuke me. He didn't want to gain the attention of the newly installed armed guards surrounding the mass of people. I obeyed and stilled my fidgeting, choosing instead to cross my arms over my chest and tune out the monotonous drone of the public speaker on the podium. An eerie hush fell over the square as our newly appointed Governor stepped up to give his speech. He was clothed all in black; the only break in colour was the white band around his neck, tucked under his collar. _

_"Thank you for coming," he almost sneered. I stifled an ironic chuckle; eyeing the ops that had stood at either ends of our street and ordered us out at gun point. "I've been watching this city for a long time. I've been watching your evil ways and disappointing sins. The Lord is not happy. He has granted me the gifts needed to straighten out your immoral ways." His sentinels either nodded or clapped along for a second or two then went back to their silent stance. "As His humble servant I am here to deliver His message. He has allowed me a glimpse of the future. There is a war coming our way." The crowd erupted in loud whispers and mumbles. My mother gripped my hand tightly, her mouth pressed into a thin line and her brow furrowed. _

_"I can feel your fear, and you are right to be afraid. This is a war we cannot win unless we follow Our Lord. His opponents will trample over us, as a child does an ant. They will wash over us like a wave in the clutches of a hurricane. We must take a stand and raise the unworthy up into His hands. He will transform them to warriors. Only with these soldiers will we be able to destroy the forces of darkness." His voice grew louder and stronger. Spittle flew from his wrinkled mouth as he became engrossed in his words. His ash blond hair whipped around in the wind and I couldn't be sure that his eyes weren't glowing in the gentle sunlight. _

_"Who are the unworthy I hear you ask. You will find out soon enough. Preparations are being made as we speak. I shall come to you again when everything has been finalised and God has deemed it is time." With that he turned from the stage and scurried through the ornate wooden doors of the hall. The guards turned as one and began escorting people away, back to their homes._

"Quinn?" Noah's voice shook me from the memory and I shivered in the cool night air. I concentrated on my warmth for a moment and the chill was gone.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He raised an eyebrow and shot me a smirk.

"I guessed that. I was asking you a question," he tried to sound annoyed but I saw through it.

"I'm, oh so, sorry dear Noah. Please tell me again what you said." I clasped my hands together in front of me, in a sign of prayer, and laughed. He pushed my shoulder gently.

"I was asking about Paige. How come you brought her back? She's gotta be older than me." I hummed my agreement.

"I think she's about seventeen, but it's hard to tell. She's so small but her eyes are old." He nodded his agreement. "As for bringing her back, I don't know. She was just so…" I trailed off and searched for the word I wanted, "broken," I finished with a sigh.

"So it has nothing to do with that sweet smile?" Noah asked, leering slightly. I lifted one brow and glared at him. His gentle laughter stopped immediately and he held his hands up in an apology.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." I replied.

"I'm sure," he tried, "but seriously, you like her don't you?" I sighed and gave up with the icy look. He wasn't going to give up until he got what he wanted.

"I don't know. I've not really thought about it," I told him. It wasn't entirely untrue. I hadn't really thought about it. Yeah it felt nice when she touched me, or I held her. Yeah her smile was adorable and her laugh was musical. But that didn't mean anything, did it?

"Sure you haven't. You're too caught up on the mission." He picked at his shirt absentmindedly, flicking a piece of lint up to be caught by the gentle breeze.

"Of course I am. I can't leave those kids in the lab to be tortured and mutilated. I need to look after the ones that we already have. It's a full time thing and I wouldn't change that for the world." Noah nodded at me then tipped his head to the side.

"But you're going to burn out. No pun intended." He chuckled at his joke and I couldn't help but join in with his quiet laughter. With the tension relieved I stood up and offered him my hand.

"I'll be fine. I've got great people to back me up." I poked a finger into his muscular upper arm. "Now come on, we should get back. I don't want to worry the others." He helped me from the roof then dropped down beside me. We moved through the back alleys quietly and we soon reached a back entrance into our shelter. I popped the grate up and lifted myself through the small hole in the floor and offered Noah some help. He shook his head and pulled himself up effortlessly. I slid the grate back in place and said goodbye to him. I ducked my head around the door of the youngest ones sleeping room and was pleased to see they were all tucked up soundly. I moved to the second bedroom and noticed a few beds were empty but most of the kids were asleep. I stretched and made my way to my bedroom to find Paige curled up on my bed with one hand in front of her face on the pillow.

I smiled softly and knelt on her bed to get my sleeping clothes. I turned away from her and pulled off my black top and pants, replacing them with the too-big shirt and loose shorts. I wheeled round when I heard shuffling and saw Paige sat up and watching me. "You're back," she breathed, her voice thick with sleep. I nodded and smoothed her hair back from her face. She leant into my hand and nuzzled her nose against my palm. I tried not to dwell on Noah's words but they pervaded my mind and buzzed in my ears like little flies. Was I attracted to petit brunette? I shook my head to try and clear my thoughts. "I missed you." Her voice was a little stronger now but still heavy and hoarse. I ignored the tingle that shot through my spine and settled low in my belly.

"I'm here now. Did you have a good day?" I picked up the ointment from Claire and twirled my finger in the air, gesturing for her to turn around. She rolled her eyes but did as I asked, lifting her shirt as she shuffled round.

"Sally is the sweetest. She showed me the library and made me read her a story." I heard her sigh. "I'd forgotten how wonderful books are." I nodded my agreement even though she couldn't see me. Books really were something special. They created a world you could escape into, where anything was possible and dreams became reality. I sighed softly and applied a little of the balm to the bruises and wounds. Paige tensed briefly but soon relaxed into my touch. I finished daubing the cream on and wiped my fingers clean before I noticed she hadn't moved. I reached out to touch her hip gently.

"Are you okay?" I probed quietly. She ducked her head but didn't reply. "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry if I did. I tried to be gentle." She reached back and gripped my hand, pressing it to her hip.

"It didn't hurt. It felt nice." I closed my eyes momentarily, ignoring the slight increase in my heart rate.

"Then what's wrong," I pushed a little harder. She took a shuddering breath before turning to me. She kept my hand still so my fingertips glided over her hipbone, across her midriff to the opposite side of her waist. I wanted so badly to flex my fingers and feel the skin beneath them but I resisted the urge and held as still as possible. When she was facing me her sad chocolate orbs fixed on me.

"I keep expecting to wake up and still be in the cramped cell and all this was just a dream." Her tee had fallen back into place, now covering our hands still on her hip. "But it's not a dream, is it? You really saved me." I blushed but shook my head.

"I didn't save you, I'm just helping you." I moved my thumb slightly, revelling in the goosebumps that had sprung up underneath my hand.

"No, you're saving me. I don't remember how I got out or how I ended up in the middle of the city but I know I wouldn't have survived until now without you." A rush of blood to my head made me dizzy and blocked out every noise. I shook my head gently to clear it and sighed softly.

"I'm glad you did survive," I mumbled unsteadily. I cleared my throat and looked away, trying to push away the rising warmth in my stomach. "You should sleep now, Sweet. It's late." I reluctantly let go of her waist and shuffled around so she could lie in her own bed. When she was curled on her side I pulled the blankets up over her shoulder and tucked her in.

"You're not going to leave are you?" She asked quietly. I shook my head before I dipped down to press a chaste kiss to her temple. I turned to arrange the sheets but her hushed voice drifted to me again. "Will you hold me?" I whipped my head around and met her sleep-hazed eyes. Without answering her, I hopped over and settled behind her; lifting her blanket to slid beneath it. She lifted her head and pulled my arm through, using it as another pillow and I wrapped my other arm around her waist.

"Are you cold?" I whispered. She nodded against my arm and I concentrated my heat towards her. Within a few minutes her breathing evened out and her tense muscles relaxed. I idly stroked my thumb over the ridge of her ribcage and tried to stop my mind from racing away with me until I fell into a fitful slumber.

* * *

I awoke from wretched dreams to feel nails scraping softly over my forearm and wrist, instantly calming me. I tightened my grip on Paige's hip and she pressed back into me fully. I relished the contact for a few more seconds but then grudgingly backed away a little. Her fingers stilled their motion and she turned to look at me questioningly. I smiled gently and was saved from coming up with an explanation by a grumble from my stomach. She giggled quietly and sat up, allowing me my other arm back.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her. She shook her head and her eyes were still sparkling with amusement. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and stretched out, my back aching from sleeping in one position all night. "I'm going to grab a shower and get some food okay?" I stood cautiously and grabbed my clothes from yesterday, shaking them out and folding them over my arm. I picked up my wash kit and sent Paige one last smile before I wandered to the bathroom. I relieved myself then stood under the cooling spray of water, letting the chilly water was over my hot skin. I seemed to find colder showers soothing since the experiments, though sometimes I liked to stand beneath scorching water and let it purge any worries from me.

After washing I towelled myself off and threw on my black shirt and pants before depositing my wash stuff back by my bed. Paige wasn't curled up like I left her but I found myself not worrying about her absence. I found her in the cafeteria sat with Sally in our corner having a breakfast of porridge and bread. My attention was diverted towards the bank of table to the front as my nose picked up the smell of bacon. My mouth began watering as I made my way towards the heavenly smell. Fabrice was stood over the hot plate with a handful of rashers of bacon sizzling away. He looked up and smiled at me.

"I knew that would get your attention." His lightly accented voice was smooth as silk and his eyes twinkled with laughter. I grunted a reply, keeping my gaze on the searing pork. He chuckled and used tongs to pick up the crispy rashers, laying them out on a slice of bread before laying another slice on top. "You're welcome boss," he smirked. I glanced up to meet his green eyes, framed by thin wire glasses and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you," I replied as I took the offered sandwich. I darted to the corner and slumped down next to Paige.

"He asked how long you were going to be," Sally supplied, eyeing Fabrice. "He said the team in the West district found a bin load of bacon and cereals." I smiled between mouthfuls.

"Hence the porridge," I pointed to the bowl in Paige's hands. She grinned at me.

"With some honey," she added, stirring the mush around contentedly. I lifted an eyebrow.

"Honey? You lot are getting spoilt now," I exclaimed scandalously. Sally giggled and swatted at my knee.

"We deserve it." She nodded her head once at her statement as if backing it up with the gesture and I found I couldn't argue with her so I merely smirked and carried on eating the remainder of my sandwich. When I had finished I stood and dusted the crumbs from my clothes.

"I'll be back in a second," I told Paige. She dropped her spoon into the bowl and reached up to grab my wrist.

"You're leaving?" She asked meekly.

"Not leaving," I assured her, "I just have a few things I need to sort out here. I won't be long." I smiled encouragingly and she let go of me, a sheepish look taking over her features. I smirked at the gentle blush creeping up her cheeks but didn't comment on it. Instead I made my way over to a team of foragers.

"Steve, Derek." They nodded to me by way of greeting. "I have a job for you tonight if you're up for it." They shared a look.

"Sure," Derek agreed. "What's up?" He ran a hand through his short sandy blond hair and fixed his grey eyes on me. I recalled a time when his steely gaze unnerved me and set me on edge but over the past few years I come to find it comforting. He and his younger brother Steve were so reliable and loyal to a fault.

"I need two sentries and some muscle," I told him. I knew he wouldn't care too much about the details. Once I had gained his trust, I found he didn't need the explanations behind the requests; just asking was enough for him to know it had to be done. He mulled it over quickly, his eyes flicking around the room before settling back on me.

"Cool."

"We leave at 7pm. You with me and Abbey, Steve with Amber and Sandy." He nodded once and cast his gaze back to the rest of his team. I followed his stare. "Stay local today." He hummed his agreement then walked back to the team without any further words. I smiled at his departing back. Most people would be offended by his seemingly rude attitude but I knew him well enough to know it was just his way. Most of the kids we had weren't overly talkative, either through trauma or a result of the experiments. It was just an accepted fact that the kids would be damaged by their ordeal. Most of the Synth kids were fine; not having been taken from loving homes and subjected to extensive torture.

Personally I found myself angry at everything and everyone when I had first escaped. It was only the overwhelming urge to protect the young, fragile kids and the need to rescue more that kept me going and stopped me from falling over the edge. I shivered as I thought about it. The children helped me more than I helped them. With a sigh I made my way back to Paige, offering my hand when I was close to her; Noah words still ringing through my head. "I want to show you something." Her eyes lit up and she gripped my hand, not really using it to help herself up. I led her into the office and over to a door to the rear of the room.

I pushed open the door and stepped into the room, nostalgia almost choking me. It had been a while since I had last been in here. In one corner sat an old armchair, moth eaten and frayed but you could still see the flowered pattern over most of it. It looked inviting with its high back and arms; the wooden legs elevating it higher. Next to it sat an old gramophone on an oak end table. On the opposite wall was a bookshelf, flooring to ceiling, full of worn and well read books. On the adjacent wall was a smaller set of shelves with rows of old vinyl records on them. All in all the room resembled my father's study from our old house. He would sit in a chair so similar to the one I had acquired with me on his knee and read to me while music played softly in the background. He was the reason I loved books so much. He would take me on an adventure with him, or turn me into the princess and have me saved by the virtuous knight.

"What's that?" Paige asked, pointing to the record player. I smiled and tugged her closer to it; encouraging her into the chair. She scooted back and swung her legs in anticipation. I reached to the shelf under the table top and pulled out the top record, smiling softly as I realised it was one of my favourite songs. I slid the disc out of the sleeve and blew over it, removing a little dust. I lifted the Perspex lid of the gramophone and repeated the action until I was sure it was clean. I placed the disc over the centre spindle and down onto the plateau. When it was settled I switched it on and lifted the arm, gently lowering it until the needle scratched the surface of the vinyl. I closed my eyes as the first notes from a trumpet echoed through the speaker, smiling as the drums were added a few seconds later.

**Sumer time and the livin' is easy,  
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high,  
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin',  
So hush little baby, don't you cry.**

I glanced at Paige and saw she had her fingers pressed to her lips and tears in her eyes. I knelt in front of her and pulled one hand in mine. "Are you okay?" She nodded but didn't pull her gaze from the black disc spinning on the player.

"Who is it?" She whispered. I rubbed my thumb over the back of her knuckles.

"Billie Holiday. The song is called Summertime." I answered. "It is a song from 1936. It was my father's favourite song." Her eyes locked onto mine, wide and incredulous.

"So long ago," she mumbled, her voice barely audible; as if she was scared of being too loud and interrupting the song. I nodded and gestured to the shelves behind me.

"There are plenty more if you want to listen to them." She began nodding so hard that I feared she would injure her neck. I stood and turned to gather a few more records but was pulled back into her cool embrace.

"Thank you for this. You always seem to know what I need." I blushed at her words, spoken softly into my ear with her breath tickling the smell hairs at the nape of my neck. She sat back and I spun quickly so she wouldn't see to pink shade of my cheeks. I flicked through the sleeves and found a few more with a similar style and placed them next to the table. We sat there for hours, alternating between reading and just listening contently to a variety of music from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Noah knocked on the door and poked his head into the room.

"It's 5 o'clock, Quinn." I nodded my thanks and pushed off the floor. I lifted the arm on the record player and placed it back in its cradle before turning it off and closing the lid.

"You're going out now aren't you?" Paige looked at me with big doe eyes, sadness emanating from them.

"Not yet. But soon I am, yeah. I won't be long though." I assured her softly. I lifted my hand and cupped her cheek gently. "Don't be sad." Her gaze ticked away then found mine again.

"I just worry about you." Her voice was so low I had to strain to hear her. A wave of butterflies shot through my tummy at admission but I pushed them aside.

"I'll be fine. I'm going to be with a couple of guys I trust with my life. They would never let anything happen to me. I'll be back before you know it. Promise," I sighed inwardly as I made another vow to her. It was a habit that was proving difficult to break. One day I would make one I couldn't keep. She nodded and leant into the palm of my hand. "Come on. Let's get some food, yeah?" She hummed her approval and we walked to the cafeteria in silence.

As we were sat eating, Sally bounded over to us and dropped down on the floor. "I still get a prize even if I haven't been looking after Paige today, right?" I snorted a laugh through my nose and swallowed the mouthful of food I was chewing.

"Your mission isn't over yet." I told her. "I'm going out this evening." Her dark orange eyes glittered happily as she bounced on her knees.

"Good. I think I know what I want as my prize," she paused dramatically. "But I'm not going to tell you yet." I smiled fondly at her and shook my head gently. We stayed talking for another hour until I saw Amber crane her head through the door. I held a finger up to her and she disappeared back out the room.

"I'm going to go now. I'll see you later okay?" I held Paige's hands in mine. She ducked her head but mumbled a good luck to me. I thanked her and left her in Sally's care. Outside Amber was standing with Sandy and Abbey. "We ready?" I shot the question at Amber. She merely raised an eyebrow and flashed me a 'duh' expression. I rolled my eyes and left to find Derek and Steve. When I had everyone gathered together we quickly went over our entry and exit strategies. Steve raised a hand half way through and spoke up.

"Chris and the twins have gone back to double check everything is as they left it." I nodded, not surprised by this information in the least. With everything in place, we loaded up sacks full of the equipment we would need and headed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So sorry it's taken me longer to get this one out (And it's shorter... Work that one out) I had a long-weekend Hen do to contend with and then a busy busy week at work. **

**Let me know what you think, again, thank you for all the favs/reviews/follows. :D You're awesome.**

**Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1.**

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I crouched in the alleyway next to the building waiting for Chris to emerge from the hidden door and I glanced at my watch. The black digital numbers blinked as they changed to 8.05. We had watched the patrol come and go a few minutes earlier, now Derek and Steve were placed on the rooftops at either end of the street and Tina and Mike were at either openings of the passage. I glanced back at Amber and noted the nervous expression on her face before she caught me looking at her. At my encouraging smile, she schooled her features into a calm mask and returned a smile of her own. A second later Christopher stepped out of the crack in the wall and ushered us in.

"Nothing has changed since yesterday," he advised quietly. I nodded my thanks and lead the tech team into the side room that the door opened out from. We went from that room into the main control room. Noah was right about Amber; her eyes lit up at all the equipment left behind and a part of me wished I brought the smitten boy so he could see, but I couldn't have anyone having a lapse in concentration on this excursion.

Amber stepped forward and laid her bag on the floor before pulling out a square battery pack about the size of her forearm, and placing it on the floor. She began ordering us around to organise her range of apparatus on the floor and she cleared a space on the table. "Right," she drew our attention from our given tasks. "Quinn I need your heat if that's okay?" I nodded with a quizzical look. The others went back to their chores as Amber explained her plan to me. "Normally batteries run off the energy created through an electrochemical reaction, but they can run out quickly, particularly when you're running more than one thing off of it.

"The girls and I," she gestured to Abbey and Sandy, "have been working on a battery the can be powered by a single heat source; i.e. you." She paused to gauge my reaction. I looked at the square pack on the floor and nodded. "I don't know how much juice you have and if it can run out and it's more than okay if you say no to this, but if you're happy to give it a go we brought the pack."

"Okay. I'll do my best." Amber flashed a wide smile before turning round to finish setting up while I just stood there unsure of myself for the first time in a long time. She was right, no one knew if my ability to project heat was temporary and limited or if it just kept feeding from my flamed core. I reasoned that we were never going to know if we didn't try and at least it wasn't invasive, unlike the experiments I underwent in the first place. When things were ready, Amber signalled for me to touch the two small handles either side of the pack and I pushed my heat through my fingertips and into the battery. With a flicker and soft hum, the screens and machines came to life.

Amber began quickly typing on one of the keyboards and within seconds she looked pleased. Sandy came over and plugged a small box into the battery and checked a round gauge on it. The needle flickered then steadied itself about halfway round the dial. She pushed her auburn hair out of her face and glanced at me shyly. "Can you give a little more, please?" I smiled at her polite requested and amped up the fire in my fingers. The pointer flew round to hit the spike that indicated it was at its maximum limit. "Better. Thank you." She shot me one last bashful smile then disappeared around a bank of electronic equipment. Abbey appeared behind me with a metal stool and urged me to sit on it. I flashed her a grateful smile and shuffled onto the seat. Ignoring the burning sensation in my hands, I turned to watch Amber opening and closing windows on the screen in front her.

"What's happening?" I asked. She kept her eyes on the screen but spoke to me over her shoulder.

"I'm setting up some safe guards and making sure I'm invisible to them. I'll be done in a second. Then I'll have to get through any defences they have on their main files, which shouldn't take too long, then I need to locate the schematics we need." I nodded as a burst of fatigue rocked through me. I shook it off and concentrated on keeping the heat steady. Christopher came over and brushed some hair off my forehead.

"You okay boss?" I grimaced at him, intent on reprimanding him for the teasing nickname but the only noise the came from my mouth was a groan. Little beads of cold sweat broke out on my skin and the searing sensation began travelling up my arms. "Shit, you're not doing so well." He tried to pry my fingers from the handles but as soon as he touched me his skin started to sizzle. I could feel trickles of perspiration slowly making their way down my temples and over my cheeks but I knew I couldn't stop the energy. "Amber I need you to hurry up," he forced out through gritted teeth as he waved his hands through the air.

I turned my eyes to him, to see if he was okay, but as soon as his gaze locked onto mine he stopped his movements and gasped. "What?" I ground out.

"Your eyes." He whispered. He glanced around quickly before running over to a cabinet. He picked up something from the top of it and dashed back to stand in front of me. I saw he had a polished steel tray, the kinda you use for sorting mail, and he held it up at head height. I looked at my reflection in disbelief. My face was bright pink like I had been in the sun too long and my eyes were a glowing red, the colour of burning embers. "I don't think you should to be doing this, Quinn." He muttered, reaching out to comfort me but thinking the better of it just before his hand touched me.

I closed my eyes and willed Amber to get the information we needed faster. My eyes flew open at Amber's exclamation. "Ha, I'm in. I just need to locate the specific files we need now." She shot a glance over her shoulder and inhaled sharply at what she saw. "Do you need to stop?" She asked, concerned. I jerked my head from side to side, gritting my teeth at the effort. "You do. We are stopping this," she stated.

"No," I growled forcefully. She stopped in shock and Christopher looked at me cautiously. "Just get on with the damn task." I ground out, my voice deep and gravelly. Amber flicked her gaze across to Chris, who merely shrugged with a frown, then turned and began tapping away at the keyboard again. Fire blazed through my torso and down my legs but I found it wasn't painful anymore. Sandy popped her head over the stack of equipment, quickly raising an eyebrow when she spotted me but turned to Amber.

"I've found the file source. It's just downloading now. It'll take a couple of minutes." Amber nodded and added that she had found the specific diagrams we had come for. I blocked out everything and focused on the effort I was exerting, hoping that this was going to be over soon. The fire within me was still burning intensely and didn't feel as though it had diminished so I began to assume it was inexhaustible. In terms of experimenting with my heat this was fairly successful, however I wasn't going to rush to carry out more trails with my ability. A gentle prod to my ribs brought me out of my thoughts and I saw Christopher still had the metal tray in his hand.

"We're done," he told me quietly. I nodded once and tried to pry my fingers from the steel handles, wincing as my skin peeled off in patches. I drew the warmth back into me and wiped the sweat from my face with my forearm. "Do you need anything?" He asked, taking my arm gingerly. When his fingers didn't blister he took a firmer grip and turned my hands over to inspect them. There were a few blisters and spots where the skin had burned away by a few layers but other than that I was relatively unharmed. He slung one arm over his shoulder and helped me through the room to the hidden door. I crouched against the wall and waited for everyone else to pack up. A shiver raced over my skin and another followed, this time within my muscles. I tried pushing my heat out to stop the cold invading my body but had to bite back a whimper at the ripple of pain that shot through my abdomen. Christopher sidled up next to me and pulled me to my feet. "Come on Quinn, let's get you home." I nodded weakly and tried not to let him carry too much of my weight.

"Everything ok?" Tina asked as we emerged from the wall. Chris nodded but didn't say anything. Tina turned and waited for Sandy and Abbey to slip through the crack then made sure it was shut tight before leading us to the mouth of the alley where Mike was standing. They nodded at each other quickly, then Mike whistled long and low. The reply came instantly, one whistle from each end of the street. We moved out into the street quietly and joined up with Derek and Steve. I ignored Derek's pointed glance and the promise in his eyes to get the answers he wanted later. The journey home was a blur of grey buildings and cold as I skipped in and out of my head. I snapped out of my daze when I was laid onto a cold table and I flashed back to the awful experiments that were performed on me. I lashed out and fought against the hands holding me down, only calming when a rag with a strange smell was pressed over my mouth and nose. Voices drifted into my semi-conscious bubble as I panicked, unable to move.

"What happened?"

"She burnt herself out."

"It was a stupid experiment. You should never have suggested it to her."

"I had no idea that would happen."

"But you could've guessed it was dangerous."

A crash skittered through my consciousness, the sound like a kaleidoscope of noise and I tried to turn my head towards the source but failed.

"Is she going to be ok?" I recognised that voice. So soft and timid but full of strength. Paige.

"I don't know. I need to monitor her and see how she gets on."

"Can she hear us?" Paige asked, her voice getting closer.

"Possibly. Depending on how much she inhaled. Mostly, I just wanted her to calm down."

"Quinn. If you can hear me, it's Paige. You're back home, okay? You're home." Her sweet voice died in my ear as I slipped out of consciousness.

I opened my eyes to see my dad sat in his weathered and battered armchair. He held a book in his hand, and a glance at the cover told me it was my favourite: Alice in Wonderland. I listened carefully and heard the unmistakable sound of Ella Fitzgerald on the gramophone. I ran into my fathers' arms; years of grief and turmoil pouring out into the hug. I pulled back to look at him; he was taller than I remember with sandy blond hair and gentle crinkles around his eyes when he smiled. He picked me up onto his lap and I realised that he wasn't taller, I was shorter. I looked at the window behind the chair and in the reflection I saw a younger version of myself. My blond hair was longer and finer, my face smooth and blemish free.

"You ready for an adventure down the rabbit hole, Alice?" My father's deep voice diverted my attention and I looked at him with a nod and a wide smile. I settled in his lap and he wrapped his arms around me, holding the book in front of us. "Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'" He began, changing his voice to mimic that of a young girl for Alice's thoughts. I leant my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, letting him sweep me away with the story.

A cold drop on my neck forced my eyes open and I reached up to wipe away whatever had landed on my skin. My fingers came back smeared with bright red liquid. I jumped and looked up to see my father skin was alabaster and mottled with a trail of deep ruby blood running from the raised circular wound in his forehead. I let out a shrill screamed and scrambled from his lap, landing with a heavy bump on the cold floor. I was no longer a young child but all of my 18 years. The animated corpse that used to be my father stood up and gave me a confused look. "What's wrong Lucy?" Tears began escaping from my eyes and heavy sobs stuck in my throat. I scrambled back on my knees when he reached out for me. I reached the wall and pushed into it, willing myself to fall through or for this nightmare to disappear. The music seemed to get louder, drowning out my desperate "No's" of denial and my father's incessant questions.

A touch to my forehead woke me up and I looked into the concerned eyes of Claire. "You were dreaming Quinn," she told me softly. I looked around and realised I was in the medical room.

"How long was I out?" I questioned weakly whilst trying to sit up. I ignored her frown at the action and continued my efforts until she gave in and helped me upright.

"They brought you in two days ago. It's around 11pm now, so about 48 hours."

"Oh," was the only reply I had. I'd been out of it for two days after my power push. "Paige?"

Claire nodded behind me and I turned to see Paige curled up in a chair, her head resting on the arm and eyes closed. "She hasn't left you once. Sally has been bringing her food and water, but she hasn't really eaten it." I frowned softly, alarmed for her wellbeing. I swung my legs out and over the side of the bed and pulled the IV drip from the back of my hand. Standing took a lot of determination but with quite a bit of help from the bed I made it to my feet. After a few tentative steps I gained my footing and made it to Paige without any mishaps. I rubbed my hand over her forearm gently; trying to rouse her from her sleep slowly. She opened her eyes groggily and yawned until it registered that I was awake then she stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and happiness.

"You're awake?" She questioned quietly. "Are you okay? How are you feeling? What happened?" She began probing at my nod. I shook my head at her and covered her hand with my own.

"Later, I'll answer your questions later. I just need to eat something and so do you." I admonished lightly. She pouted in response and muttered something under her breath. "Sorry?"

"I was worried," she repeated. I sighed through my nose and felt my lips twitch up into a small smile.

"I'm fine," I promised her. "Come on." I stood again and turned to see Claire setting out some clothes for me on the bed. I flashed a grateful smile but she waved it off and left me with Paige to get dressed. She stood before me and held up a shirt; hem scrunched up to the collar for ease, and then closed her eyes. I grinned at the courtesy and slipped off the loose smock-like top I was wearing. I pulled the shirt over my head and sat back down on the bed to change from the blue scrubs into my underwear and khaki long shorts. When I stood, I pulled the garments up to my hips and glanced up to see Paige still stood in front of me; eyes closed and hands slightly out as if to catch me if I fell. I took her hands in mine and pulled her in for a hug. It seemed strange that our roles had reversed for two days; she had looked after me where I had been her protector.

I pulled back and tucked some of her messy brown locks behind her ear affectionately before tugging her out of the med room and towards the cafeteria. It was fairly quiet in there, not surprising given the late hour. Fabrice was sat in the corner, his head leaning against the wall, snoring away quietly. I smirked and crept around the benches, my bare feet padding silently on the concrete. I picked up some hard bread and a small chunk of cheese, throwing Fabrice a soft smile before we left. We sat in the atrium and ate in silence while Paige shot me concerned glances from the corner of her eyes. Eventually I sighed.

"What's up?" I asked.

"What happened?" She asked, not looking at me.

"Amber wanted to try out a new device that feed off my heat, I agreed. It just pushed me a lot further than anything ever has and I guess it drained me." She nodded but looked unconvinced.

"Christopher said something about your eyes. They changed colour." I looked at my hands; my fingers twisted together in my lap and sighed.

"They did," I agreed. "And my skin became too hot for him to touch." Paige hummed her acknowledgement.

"I saw his burns. Claire treated him after she's sorted you out. She had to sedate you because you were becoming violent." I looked away, embarrassed.

"I felt the cold table and thought I was back there again. But I heard you. You told me I was home." The memory came back to me, along with the recollection of my dream. I turned to see a beaming smile threaten to spilt her face and it helped soothe my frazzled nerves. The grin turned into a yawn and I gripped her hand before pulling her up with me as I stood. "Let's get to bed." She nodded and followed me into the sleeping area. I lay on my back as she curled into my side; head resting on my shoulder as her nose brushed against my neck. I wrapped one arm around her and held her against me, unsure when we became this affectionate but not minding in the least. Her breathing evened out quickly as she slept but slumber seemed to elude me as the dream of my father played on a loop in my head. Giving up on the idea of rest I reached above my head and turned on the dim lamp before feeling out my book. I was grateful that I'd changed it from Alice in Wonderland to Oliver Twist; something that could rival my mood in many ways. I slipped the marker from between the battered pages and began to read, holding the book up in one hand whilst rubbing small circles over Paige's ribs with the other. I read until eventually a dreamless sleep took me and I finally got some rest.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I've had a quiet few days and have managed to get this out faster than I anticipated. So to make up for the shorter chapter last time I have a longer one for you this time.**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

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I woke to the sounds of a scuffle and my head cleared almost instantly when I heard Noah shout out an obscenity. I slid from beneath Paige without waking her and laid my still-open book down before marching into the atrium.

"You should have known. You should have stopped her," Noah screamed at Christopher.

"You try telling her not to do something, see if she listens to you," Christopher flung back at him. Noah lunged forward but hands wrapped around his body and arms, restraining him. I noticed that Chris was in very much the same situation.

"She could've died! Where would we all be then? Huh? Whether you like to think it or not, she *is* the boss. We would be nothing without her." It hit me with the force of a truck, they were arguing about me. Some of the other kids that had gathered to watch the spectacle noticed that I was among them and they greeted me with wide smiles and, in some cases, cuddles.

"You think I don't know that? And you think that Amber doesn't feel responsible? But she is a grown woman, she makes her own decisions. Just because you want to get into her pants!" A hush descended over the crowd as all eyes turned to Noah. He stopped struggling as his face flushed crimson. Quick as a flash he used his speed to slip from his confinements and leaped the few metres to Chris, landing a solid blow to his jaw.

"You ever run your mouth like that again… She is like a sister to me. I love her like family. She saved my worthless ass." He raised his fist again.

"Enough." I stepped forward and wrapped my fingers around his wrist. "Enough Noah," I repeated softly. He looked at me with tears in his eyes. "I'm okay." He took the reassurance with a nod then pulled me into his embrace. I sensed Christopher stand up and heard the rustle of clothing as he brushed himself off. I stepped back and looked him over; he had a small cut to his lip but was otherwise unhurt. "You were out of line Chris, bringing those kinds of feelings into it. But you are right, I'm a grown woman. I make my own choices and, though I had my reservations about it, I wouldn't have been talked out of it. I took the opportunity presented to me to further understand my power, and yes it went a little too far. But I'm fine." I had turned to Noah to reiterate the last part of my speech and received a curt nod in response. Chris mumbled his apology and I accepted it with a smile. "Now, I'm sure you all have other things to do than to stand around gawping." I made a shooing motion with my hands and the crowd dispersed.

"Amber wants to see you, if you want to see her that is," Chris put in quietly. I ran a hand down his arm and nodded, turning to head towards the tech area. I found Amber and Sandy hunched over a screen mumbling incoherently at each other.

"Hey." I supplied softly. Amber spun around and her lips parted in shock.

"You're awake," she stated.

"Yeah I woke up in the middle of last night. I hear you feel bad." I jumped straight to the point, not wanting anymore emotional scenes. She nodded weakly and looked away. "It's not your fault, you weren't to know. I accepted the offer to explore my heat, we did that. Yes it drained me, but that's all. I'm fine, it's fine." I winced after I finished speaking, not expecting my voice to come out that harshly. Sandy mumbled an excuse and left us alone. Amber shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "So, please tell me you have found what we were looking for?" I added with a smile. She glanced up and returned my smile uncertainly.

"We did, but we also found more." I stepped closer to her and waited for her to explain. "We have a full list of schematics for every single base in which they are holding captives. We also have the bases they are conducting experiments in." I nodded happily. It would allow us to infiltrate and rescue more kids now that we had the exact plans. "Also," Amber continued her face lighting up, "I managed to find the patient files for the three city bases and the sea base." My mouth hung open in disbelief.

"You did what?"

"There are over two thousand patients per experimental base." She nodded enthusiastically. I shook my head to clear the muzzy feeling settling over me.

"Two thousand?"

"Yeah. We have transferred the information onto memory cards and categorised the names by base then age." I worried at my bottom lip for a second before I requested the cards. Amber smiled compassionately and handed me the four small plastic rectangles. She separated one out on my palm. "That's for the sea base." I nodded my thanks and made my way to a free computer before I inserted the card into the slot and waited tensely for it to load. When it was ready I chose the appropriate age range and scrolled through the list of names, stopping only when I saw the one I sought.

**Lucy Quinn Fabray Age:12 Category: Heat Exploration**

I opened the file and read through the notes, wincing as the memories flooded back to me. I pushed them away and ejected the card. After handing them over to Amber I stalked to the shower, stopping only to grab my wash bag and check on Paige. As I stood under the cool water my temper got the better of me and I lashed my fist out at the wall, ignoring the sharp pain that shot up my hand and arm. I gripped the pipe in front of me with my good hand and sent a wave of heat through it. The water streaming from the shower head turned boiling hot and I hissed quietly as the searing liquid drenched me. The needle-like stinging over my skin slowly drained the anger from me and left only grief. Tears merged with the scalding water on my cheeks and I let out a quiet sob. I wasn't crying just for myself but for the thousands of children tortured and killed at their hand.

"Quinn?" I almost didn't hear the whisper from beside me but I just caught it. I turned towards the voice, unsure of myself. Paige stood with a corner of towel in each hand, her gaze focused on the pale green tiles lining the walls. I switched the water off and stepped gratefully into the soft cloth, sighing contently as she wrapped the ends around me, hugging me into her at the same time. Her hands rubbed gentle patterns on my back as she whispered soothing words into my ear. Once my tears had subsided I pulled back from her comforting embrace and pushed my slick hair from my face.

"I thought you were still sleeping," I mumbled. She smiled, trying to get me to hold the towel around myself but I had no conceptions of grandeur and it didn't bother me that people might see my body. I assumed Paige had seen me when she entered the room. When she huffed and shot me a pointed look until I humoured her and held the two corners together, stifling a chuckle at her behaviour.

"I was but I missed you," she said distractedly as she tugged up the edge of the towel to cover the top of my breasts. A soft shiver raced over my skin and into my tummy at her admission. "You should be resting," she admonished lightly, tucking a few loose strands of my blond hair behind my ear.

"Yes boss," I replied playfully. A smirk appeared on her face and the tension in my chest dissipated slightly. There was something about this girl that calmed me yet ignited me at the same time. Maybe Noah was right, maybe I needed to take a step back and explore how I feel. I shook my head gently as Paige poked a finger into my upper arm.

"You should eat. It's nearly lunchtime," she told me, lifting a set of clothes hung over the pipework along the wall. She turned away to give me some privacy but I noticed the soft pink staining her cheeks and the bottom lip held firmly between her teeth. I ignored my own blush and quickly got changed, tying my hair up in a high pony tail with an elastic band. She led me to the cafeteria and ordered me into our usual corner with strict instructions not to move. I flashed her a smile and raised my hand to my temple in a mock salute, laughing at her as she rolled her eyes and poked her tongue at me. I watched as she leant over the main table and whispered into the ear of Andrew; a young boy that shared the 'kitchen' duties with Fabrice. His blue eyes found me and the corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. He disappeared for a second and my attention was grabbed my Sally who was skipping over to me.

"Are you okay now?" She asked tensely. My eyebrow lifted at her tone and I nodded. "Good because if anything happens to you, I will kill you!" She exclaimed seriously. A burst of laughter erupted from my throat and I instantly felt bad as an unmistakable sadness slipped over her features.

"I'm sorry little egg. I didn't mean to laugh, and I'm sorry I made you upset because I was sick." She nodded sagely and picked at some lint on her dull pink dress. "But thank you for looking after Paige for me while I was away and when I was asleep. I'm very proud of you for that." She tried to resist the smile pulling at her lips but lost the battle in the end.

"Well, she was worried too. I know that she really, really, really likes. The way Noah likes Amber but won't tell anyone cause he's a stupid boy," I smirked as her ramble continued until I took in what she had said. Paige liked me. A warmth that was nothing to do with my ability radiated from my abdomen. "I didn't get a chance to tell you, but I've figured out what I want my prize to be." I looked at her expectantly, not noticing the fact that Paige had reappeared next to me with a bacon sandwich and bowl of cereal. "I want you to sing for me."

"Sing? Really, that's what you want?" I asked in a slightly panicked tone. "You can have anything you want." I reiterated. It wasn't that I was scared to sing, I just thought I didn't sound good. I wasn't bad, but I wasn't great either. Sally shook her head adamantly and poked her finger into my leg.

"It's my prize and I want you to sing." I sighed, knowing she was going to be so stubborn about this.

"Fine. But not right now." I conceded with a pout. She flashed a wide smile then tipped forward to hug me before she stood and bounced away.

"You sing?" Paige asked slyly.

"No," I replied with another pout. She chuckle softly.

"I can't wait to hear your voice," she murmured next to my ear as she placed the sandwich in my hands. I felt a blush crawl slowly up my neck and onto my cheeks but she didn't seem to notice as she began eating her breakfast. When ate in relative silence, content with each other's quiet company. I noticed Sally kept slanting looks at me out of the corner of her eye and when I stood she hurried over and grabbed my hand. Without saying anything she led me into the cosy room off the office and sat in the arm chair expectantly. The door closed and I noticed that Paige had followed us with a wry smile on her lips.

"Will you sing for me now?" Sally asked with bright eyes and a wide grin. I cast another glance at the door and reasoned I had no escape route with Paige stood there. A quiet whisper in my mind wondered if they had planned this together while I was out.

"What do you want me to sing?" I questioned, resigned to my fate. Sally hopped from her seat and rushed to the shelving holding the records. She found one that seemed to please her then held it out to me. My eyes drifted over the cover and a genuine smile threatened to split my face in half. I opened the lid of the gramophone and set the record down on the turntable, lifting the arm to set the needle on the black vinyl. The drums and strings signalled the intro and I cleared my throat.

**Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby  
Honey, welcome back home.  
I know she told you,  
Honey I know she told you that she loved you  
Much more than I did,  
But all I know is that she left you,  
And you swear that you just don't know why,  
But you know, honey I'll always,  
Always be around if you ever want me  
Come on and cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby**

I found my eyes were drawn to Paige as I sang the Janis Joplin song. She was leant against the door, one hand against the wood to steady herself and the other against her stomach. Her expression was unreadable. I finished singing and let the instruments wrap up the song. Sally clapped happily at my performance, launching herself from the chair to hug me.

"That was wonderful Lucy," she praised, face pressed into abdomen. She squeezed then stepped back, swivelling to face Paige. "Wasn't it?" She asked enthusiastically, not giving her an option to say no.

"It was beautiful," Paige replied, her voice hushed and full of awe. I blushed under her compliment but shook my head to deflect her admiration. Sally thanked me before leaving; heading off for her lessons with the older kids. I shared a quick smile with Paige before I moved to the record player and took the vinyl off the turntable. I knew I needed to see Amber again and begin the task of going over the schematics she pulled, but I just couldn't bring myself to leave the room. The image of my father swam before my eyes again but I pushed it away. I rummaged through the records sat beneath the gramophone and picked a classical compilation album. I wanted something soothing and neutral. As soft strings filled the air I felt a light touch to my wrist. Paige gazed at me with sympathetic eyes before opening her arms to me. I buried my face into the crook of her neck and inhaled her heady scent. When she pulled away, her focus was on a book sat on the book shelf; lying on its cover, spine facing us. She reached out for it and handed it me. I looked it over.

"Read to me?" She requested quietly.

"Pride and Prejudice?" I asked with a hint of a smirk. She nodded with a raised eyebrow.

"One of the girls said I would like it so I want to try it," she explained. I chewed at the inside of my lip for a second but agreed, sliding into the chair at an angle to leave some room for her to sit too. She climbed on next to me and rested her head on my shoulder as I opened to the first page. We stayed like that until heard a soft purring close to my ear. I looked down to see Paige's eyes were closed and her mouth open slightly; sending soft puffs of breath against my collarbone. I closed the book, keeping my finger in between the paper to save the page and rubbed at her arm gently. A glance at my watch told me it was late enough to go to bed. She roused a little, eyes blinking heavily, and looked at me with a cute, confused pout.

"We should get to bed, it's getting late," I told her. She nodded slowly and yawned, hiding her mouth behind the back of her hand. I stood, careful not to tip her onto the floor and replaced the book on the shelf before turning off the record player. Paige was stood by the door when I turned, leaning against the wall lazily. I smirked and supressed a yawn of my own.

I helped her into her bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin and brushing the hair from her face then shuffled into a comfortable position on my own bundle of sheets. Sleep came quickly but I was restless and had soon kicked off the thin material covering me. I could feel the cold sweat gathering on my skin, cooling me down, but I couldn't seem to wake up; instead hovering between the peaceful oblivion and being awake. I was running again; through the grey and dark streets that seemed so hostile. I could hear footsteps behind me; there was no set rhythm to the pounding beat as many people joined in the chase. I took a twisting path to the docks and skidded to a halt as I reached a small jetty. I turned to see them gaining on me, truncheons and stun guns in hand with fierce snarls on their faces. I felt a small shiver of pleasure run through me at the thought of making them so furious but I swallowed it down and concentrated on not being captured.

I spun back to face the short wooden bridging suspended over the glittering surface of the sea. With a smirk I set off along the stunted pier, praying that the old timber didn't rot out under my feet, and sucked in as much oxygen as possible. When I reached the final plank I pushed off and leapt into the air, twisting my body to turn the leap into a dive. The sheer icy water hit me like a tonne of bricks and I fought to keep the air in my lungs. My limbs threaten to seize up but I pushed harder and finally my muscles obeyed and I began gliding through the murky water gracefully. After a few strokes my chest started burning with a need to breathe and I pushed towards the surface.

As my head broke through the rippled waves I gulped down the salty air and looked around to get my bearings. I was dismayed to see three motorboats making their way towards me. One looped behind me to cut off my escape route and the other two closed ranks just in front of me. I dove beneath the water again and tried to turn towards the open ocean but a hand wrapped around my ankle and yanked me back. I spun to face my attacker and rage filled me as I took in his smug half smile and sandy brown hair. I kicked out with my other foot but the water made my moves slower and he managed to grab that leg as well. I looked up and briefly saw the moon flickering through the waves but it was blocked out by a black shape that I soon realised was someone head as they leaned over the edge of the boat. A hand pushed into my chest as I fought to find the surface and some oxygen, keeping me down. The intense searing pain in my chest increased as the seconds ticked by and in my panic I drew in a breath. Salt water flooded my lungs and I heaved to try and get rid of it but I just pulled in more. A couple of seconds later my vision dimmed into darkness.

I woke up, coughing and spluttering on the boat. I tried to roll onto my side but my arm and legs were bound to the sides of the raft so instead I merely turned my head to the side and gagged a few times. When it was clear nothing was going to come up I swallowed heavily, my throat ragged and sore. I wheezed for a few breaths then coughed again. I waited until my throat and chest were feeling a little more settled before I glanced around at my captors. Next to my head was the one that had jumped in the water with me. He was smiling that stupid half grin again and looking at another one of the ops. I flicked my gaze over to him and found his deep blue eyes staring straight back at me. He ran a hand through his wavy brown hair and smirked.

"She's a pretty one, don't you think Hudson?" The tall boy next to me gave my body an appreciative once over but quickly dismissed me.

"She's alright. Not my type though," he sniffed. Blue eyes looked at me again with the same slimy smile.

"I'd take her for a test drive," he waggled his eyebrows at me and I fought the urge to retch.

"You'd take anything with a pulse for ride, St James," Hudson shot back. A few minutes later the boat run aground on soft muddy sand and my cuffs were undone briefly as they pulled my arms behind my back and refastened them. I struggled pointlessly against my bonds but ultimately they were designed to stop people from escaping. All I could do was shuffle my feet and try not to trip as they marched me up the concrete ramp into the stone built building on the shore. I took in my surroundings, guessing we were only a mile or so from the city as I spied the tall gate towers marking the entrance in the walls.

I stumbled as 'Hudson' shoved me through a wide metal door and I had to squint against the harsh strip lighting until my eyes got used to the glare. Once I had adjusted I noticed I was being herded towards a holding cell. Inside the metal structure were five other kids, all chained to various points of the fence-like wall. I resumed my struggle with the bonds but all that earned me was a cuff across the back of my head. I slumped forward, held up by two ops gripping onto my arms, and was dragged into the pen and chained up in a corner. A man dressed in light green scrubs with soft white hair stepped forward and shot me a kind smile. For some reason he scared me more than dozens of soldiers around me. He pulled a syringe out of his pocket and pulled the plastic tip off the needle. He depressed the plunger gently and checked there was no air mixed with the liquid in the tube. I squirmed away from him until someone pressed a stun gun to my shoulder and pressed the button. I screamed as the shock travelled the length of my body, electrifying every single nerve and causing my back to arch away from the pain. It only lasted a few seconds but the pain remained long after and the prick of the needle paled in comparison. My vision swam as the drug took effect and within a few minutes I was unconscious.

Pain prodded at my unconscious mind and forced me awake. My stomach rolled and I fought a wave of nausea as I realised I was suspended above the ground, face down. I tried to move but the straps holding my arms and legs prevented anything more than a slight wiggle. I felt a leash around my neck and another around my waist and guessed I was tied to a table. A pair of black slip on shoes came into view, topped by the faded green scrubs and a gentle voice drifted to me from above.

"It's easier if you don't fight it you know?" He sounded like a kindly teacher or a grandfather. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it but the bubble of laughter quickly turned into a sob. "Oh, now dear, don't cry. It won't hurt too much." He soothed, "After a while anyway. You'll get used to it. If you don't pass out first, that is." His quiet chuckle sent a terrified shiver down my spine. "Now, you'll feel a sharp scratch in a second." I held my breath and waited for the pinch. What I received was a lot more than a 'sharp scratch'. It felt like someone had punched me in in the lower back with razor sharp nails attached to their knuckles.

I bit my lip, determined not to show anymore weakness, but stopped when I saw blood dripping on to the floor beneath my face. I swiped my tongue over the wound I'd created and tasted the bitter copper tang. My attention was distracted by an odd sensation making its way through my body. It felt like ice was shifting through my blood stream. I grit my teeth against the unpleasant feeling and waited for it to pass. After a few minutes it cold began seeping into my bones and I began shivering. I heavy clunk drew my attention back the pair of feet to my left. He stepped on a metal pedal and the cold started to ebb away, in its place was a pleasant warmth. Just as I relaxed into the gentle heat, he stepped on the pedal again and the temperature shot up. Where it had felt like ice before, now it as akin to fire travelling through my system. I whimpered as the searing pain took hold of me and sweat began dripping from my skin, pooling on the floor. Soon I was dizzy and disorientated, slipping in and out of consciousness as the pain increased. My muscles were going into spasm and I was shivering uncontrollably as the fever took hold and burnt me from the inside. Eventually the heat subsided and the fever died down but the agony remained until the stabbed a needle into my arm and I slid into a quiet oblivion.

A hand on my arm woke me up and I stared into the warm brown eyes of Paige. I looked around in confusion for a second then remembered it was a dream. "You were punching the floor." She whispered, concern lacing her sleepy voice. I glanced down at my hand to see my knuckles were bloody and raw. I cleared my throat and sighed. It wasn't unusual for me to dream about that place, nor was out of the ordinary for me to be violent in my sleep while I was back there, but it was strange for me to dream of the experiments. Normally I relived the parts in between; being held in the cell, the vile words shot at me from the guards and the torture I sustained at their hands. I put it down to the notes I had read earlier.

"I'm sorry. Thank you for waking me." She nodded and laid back down, curling her knees up to her chest but she kept her eyes on me. I stretched stiffly then rubbed the raised scar on my back out of habit. It was too easy to forget that I wasn't all just a bad dream and that it all actually happened; the scar was a very painful reminder. It took almost a year for it to fade to the silver blemish it was now, remaining an angry purple colour for so long. I saw Paige's eyes following my movements but when I pulled my hand back to my side her eyes lingered on my lower back. She met my eyes briefly and I knew she would never voice the request to see my scars, but I knew I could trust her.

I shuffled round a little and lifted the bottom of my shirt, exposing the lump to the air. I heard her sharp intake of breath then felt the gentle tingle of fingers on my skin. She traced a ring around the bump then ran a line straight down it. I shivered at her touch and closed my eyes to the soft tickle she was creating. Her fingertips slid over some of the other scars either side of my spine and I sighed at the quiet intimacy of the gesture. I felt my shirt lift a little higher and she shifted behind me. I gasped as her lips traced a faded welt then moved on to another. Her mouth was blissfully chilled against my heated skin which only served to amplify the dull ache forming in my stomach and between my thighs. I moaned softly as both her hands gripped my waist gently, her thumbs stroking the skin just beneath my ribcage.

I turned as she straightened and I saw that she was kneeling, eyes dark and unreadable. I reached up and brushed a few locks of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. She locked her gaze into mine and I realised just how close we were; lips only a few inches apart. My fingers trailed along her jaw then I cupped her cheek. She dipped her head a little closer and suddenly we were sharing the same breath. I ignored the elevation in my heart rate, instead focusing on the slight hitch in her breathing as I stroked my thumb over her plump bottom lip. It occurred to me in that moment that this was the feeling that had drawn me to her in the first place. This was why I had cared about her when I normally wouldn't have. I closed the last few millimetres and connected our lips.

She kissed me with a sense of urgency and I couldn't help but return the sentiment. My hand slid back and my fingers tangled in her hair as I flicked my tongue over her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She obliged and I deepened the kiss by seeking out her tongue with my own. She moaned into my mouth as I gripped her hip with my free hand and her nails dug into my shoulder and waist. The gentle rustle of clothes and a quiet snore broke us apart. I quickly glanced around but it seemed one of the boys had merely stirred in his sleep. When I looked back at Paige I noticed her cheeks were flushed and she had her bottom lip firmly between her teeth. It was a habit I was growing fond of.

"Are you ok?" I queried softly, taking her hand in mine. She nodded gently, eyes fixed on my mouth. I raised an eyebrow and smirked at her expression. "Come on, back to sleep." I urged lightly. Disappointment flashed in her in her chocolate orbs briefly before it was gone and she curled up on her bed. I slipped back under my blanket, keeping one side lifted as an offering to her. She flashed a wide grin and shuffled onto my bedding, turning around to press her back into me. I wrapped one arm around her waist, tucking the other under my head, and pulled her closer. I placed a delicate kiss to the area of skin where her neck met her shoulder and snuggled into her, slipping easily into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

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**A/N2: While I'm aware that 'Cry baby' wasn't originally done by Janis Joplin, I just prefer her version. That's why I identify it as hers in the chapter. **

**I'm also mad that Glee never got Quinn to sing this, i would love to hear it in Dianna's voice. **

**Let me know what you think. Now to see where we shall go with the next chapter. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm rubbish. I'm sorry. I've had a hectic month and really bad writers block. I know, excuses. Please forgive me? But yay, This has passed 25k words. Makes me happy. Thank you if you have stuck with me.**

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I ran my finger over a raised silver scar on her shoulder, following the curve as the point touched the base of her neck. A soft shiver drew my attention and Paige pressed into me further, leaving no room between us. Her breathing was still even and fairly shallow so I knew she was still asleep. I let my mind wonder back to the previous night. I'd never spent that much time dwelling on my sexual preferences; I'd understood who I was from a young age, but this was the first time since The Minister came to our city that I'd explored the possibility of falling for someone. Somehow, this tiny and battered girl had wormed her way into my heart and forced me to pay attention. My lips still tingled with the memory of the kiss and I yearned to taste her again but my responsibilities niggled at the back of my mind, telling me that I had better things to be worry about than a doomed romance.

Paige shifted against me again, her tee riding up to expose her protruding hipbone and her flat stomach with the faint outline of abdominal muscles. I traced the flat of my nail lightly over a welt that ran from just beneath her ribs to the dip of her belly button. My movements were stopped when she interlaced her fingers with mine. "Tickles," she mumbled thickly.

I smiled and whispered, "Good morning," into her ear. Her grip on my hand tightened and she turned onto her back, locking her gaze into mine and holding it there. Her free hand made its way to my face, cupping my cheek gently. My earlier thoughts were forgotten as I got lost in the warm brown orbs keeping me captive. Her thumb stroked over the skin near my ear then along my jaw to my bottom lip. I shivered at the touch but made no move to stop her.

"Quinn? Do you have a sec?" The moment was interrupted as Amber stuck her head around the door. I turned to glower at her, ignoring the slight giggle from beneath me. "Oh, sorry. Uh, whenever you're ready." She lowered her eyes and dipped her head before disappearing as suddenly as she had arrived. I glared at the now vacant doorway for a few more seconds before exhaling through my nose. I glanced down to see Paige smirking at me, amusement dancing in her beautiful eyes.

"I'm glad you find it funny," I teased. She nodded gently, a smile still playing on her lips. I rolled my eyes before placing a soft kiss to her temple. With a heavy sigh I sat up and stretched, wincing at the loud pop that came from my spine.

"You must be getting old," Paige taunted from her position on the floor. She had rolled onto her side, head propped up on the heel of her hand. I raised an eyebrow and stuck my tongue out at her, garnering a deep laugh that caused my stomach to flip. I stood with a shake of my head and pulled a pair of combat trousers over my thin sleeping shorts, but kept my baggy shirt on.

"I should go," I mumbled reluctantly. Paige nodded from the floor and watched as I wound through the islands of sleeping kids. I stretched again, rolling my neck to work out the tense muscles that would ultimately lead to a headache, before making my way to Amber tech lair. I found Noah, Mike, Tina and Christopher hovering around a large table; each with a piece of paper in their hands.

"Sorry if I interrupted anything," Amber mumbles next to me. I flashed her a sly smile and shook my head; my short blond locks dancing around my face lazily.

"Don't sweat it. What do you have?" She returned the smile; hers of relief, and gestured to a few piles of what looked to be plans on the table.

"I've printed out the floor plans for each base. I thought I'd let you and the others come up with a strategy for any raids you are organising. If you need anything I'll be going over a few things," she pointed to a cluttered desk in the corner and shuffled off. I nodded my thanks before stepping up to the rest of the group.

"Talk to me guys." Mike turned his sheet so it was the right way up and placed it in front of me. I glanced at him to see if he was going to say anything but he merely pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Mike's right, the city base close to the south wall is going to be our best bet. They seem to have fewer defence measures and looser security." I looked at Noah with a quirked eyebrow. How did he know the measures each base had in place? He smirked and nodded to Amber.

"Amber, do you have a list of security practices for the bases?" She turned and looked at me for a second.

"Did I not mention that?" I smiled at her as she began fussing around a stack of papers. "Ha! Here." She handed me a file before resuming her previous task. I smirked softly her back a moment longer then laid the information on the table. It outlined the personnel assigned to each base, any alarm systems; though it didn't include the disarming codes, and any other defences.

We spent the next few hours poring over the various files and schematics for each base, starting with the south base then progressing to the one outside the city by the sea. As we formulated a plan for each building, Tina sat quietly and took the notes; splitting up the plan into action points for each person. I thanked her for her thoughtfulness as I reviewed the timetable of events.

"Christopher, take your most careful guys and scout each route out carefully. I don't want any surprises on the way." He nodded stoically. "Noah, I want you, Tina and Mike to watch the patrols in the area. I want to know when they get there, when they leave, when they eat, when they go to the toilet, everything. Names if you can get them, if not just descriptions. I want how often they rotate, how many per shift, if it's the same teams every time or if they change. Any personal details you can get would be good too." He smiled but said nothing. "Okay. I'll talk to Derek and Steve; we will need muscle as well." I was interrupted by my growling stomach. "And on that note, we'll break for food." Everyone pitched their agreement and we made our way to the cafeteria. I wolfed down a quick lunch then excused myself to find the two imperturbable brothers.

I found them in a training room duelling each other. I stood to the side and watched them circle each other, feeling out a weakness or waiting for an opening. Eventually Steve feinted to the right and drew a tight punch from Derek. Steve gripped his wrist and twisted, using Derek's momentum to flip him over his hip. The younger brother kept his hold on the wrist and bent it around to the right. Derek grunted, the only indication that it was painful and rolled back onto his shoulders. He used his legs to flip onto his feet, grabbing Steve's hands in the process and used the motion to reverse the pressure. Steve immediately let go and lashed his foot out at his brothers' thigh. Derek moved with the blow and turned to deliver his own kick to the abdomen.

Steve stumbled back but quickly regained his footing. He shot a glance at me then held up his hand to stop the oncoming attack from Derek. "What's up boss?" He panted.

"I'd forgotten how much fun training could be," I replied with a smirk. Derek smiled patiently while Steve chuckled and began stretching his muscles out. "I'm going to need some heavies. Ones you trust that are good." Derek nodded slowly, his eyes flicking across the ground. I knew he was going over all of his guys and picking out the ones he felt were most suitable. Steve stepped forward and gestured to the space. I hesitated for a second before turning to the storage corner, picking up a cropped support top. I pulled my oversized shirt off and the short top on, adjusting it for comfort. Once I was ready and had stretched I met Steve in the middle of the room and assumed a defensive stance.

Steve launched a fist at me and I blocked it easily, tentatively throwing my own back. He skipped backwards out of my reach and smiled. I rolled my eyes and began circling him. We traded a few sparing punches before he stepped into my space and landed a blow to my chin. I turned with the strike and dropped into a crouch, swiping my foot along the ground and catching his ankles. He landed on his back with a grunt but recovered to block the kick aimed for his ribs. He gripped my foot and pushed it up away, throwing my balance off for a split second. I used the momentum to execute a back flip, righting myself to see him on his feet and waiting for me. I nodded my appreciation of the fight so far and started circling him again.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Derek watching us intently, studying our movements and, no doubt, preparing the critical feedback he would give us after we were done. Wanted or not. I smirked gently and turned my attention back to Steve. His cool blue eyes flicked over me, watching for a sign of attack as I did the same to him. I made the first move this time, feinting a high kick aimed for his head. I kept my eyes on his face but pulled back at the last second and sent my heel for his gut. With his hands up; ready to block the blow to his head, my foot connected sweetly with his stomach and he doubled over with a grunt. I snapped my leg back and sent another kick to his chin, now significantly lower than it had been. He just got one hand up to parry the shot but couldn't block it completely.

He landed on his side with a groan and scrambled back to avoid the kick intended for his ribs once again and managed to get to his feet. I followed him quickly and slammed him into the wall, twisting his arm to plant him face first into the steel. He tried to shoot an elbow at my head but I ducked it and increased the pressure on his arm. "Okay, okay. You win," he grumbled. "You didn't need to try and fracture my arm." I let go and stepped back. He turned and rubbed his sore limb carefully.

"Sorry. I'll be more gentle next time." I stuck my tongue out at him and was rewarded with a rare laugh from Derek.

"She kicked your ass little brother." Steve sent him a glare before dropping to the floor and bending forward to stretch out. I followed his example and straightened my legs in a 'V' to maximise the pull. "Quinn, you drop your shoulder a little before you throw a punch. It's small but noticeable once you see it." I nodded, knowing it was a habit I used to have but had worked out with practice.

"I'll get back in here and work through it." He nodded and turned to Steve.

"You take your eye off your target when you're thinking you attack through. I can see it in your face." Steve just grunted a response then looked at me.

"You should go against Charlie. She'd be more of a challenge for you. She's a lot more agile." I smiled at his suggestion. Charlie had been a gymnast before being captured. In the experiments they increased her ability. Now she was insanely flexible and her movements flowed like water. Her balance and climbing skills were also incredible. It would be difficult to just get my hands on her, let alone beat her in a fight. I nodded shallowly, the motion not lost on Derek.

"I'll step it up for tomorrow if you want."

"Sure. I'd also like you to start teaching Paige some basics. I don't know how much she knows, but until we figure out what they did to her we should at least prepare her." He bobbed his head in agreement. I braced my hands on the floor and jumped to my feet before waving goodbye to the brothers. I headed to the bedrooms to grab my wash stuff then made my way to the showers. The tepid spray settled my twitching muscles and felt good over my heated skin. After drying off and changing clothes I looked around the compound for Paige, eager to present my suggestion to her. I found her in the library with Sally and a couple of the younger kids.

Paige was sat against a wall with Sally curled up on her crossed legs, reading a faded and tattered book together. She looked up when I entered the room, a shy smile lighting her face. I returned with a grin of my own, my heart tripping on its own beat for a second or two. She whispered something in Sally's ear before gently guiding her to the floor and handing her the book. She stood and crossed to me, her hand reaching for mine and holding a few fingers lightly. My skin tingled at the contact and I had to swallow a soft groan at the feeling.

"Are you okay?" She questioned quietly, her deep chocolate orbs boring into mine own hazel ones. I nodded, not trusting my voice and gestured with my free hand to the door. She walked with me into the main atrium and through into the office.

"I've had an idea, if you're up for it of course," I began nervously. Her eyes shone with interest and she signalled me to go on. "I was wondering if you wanted to start combat training. It would be helpful if you knew how to fight." Her expression grew apprehensive for a second before it dissolved to a frown of concentration. I let her work through her thoughts patiently.

"You think I'm going to need to fight?" She asked uneasily.

"No," I hurried, "but it will be good for you to learn it. Just in case something happens and I'm not around to protect you." I gripped her hand, trying to placate her.

"I need protecting?" A hard edge crept into her voice and alarm bells rang in my head.

"Well-"

"So, I'm just a helpless little girl that can't help herself?" Her face twisted in anger and she yanked her hand back. "Is that what you think of me?"

"No, Paige. That's not what I meant. I just meant that until we know what they did to you, it may be best to learn the combat training." She bristled at my words and stomped her foot once before storming for the door. "Paige!"

"Just- Don't Lucy." Her flushed cheeks and hard eyes rooted me to the spot and I let her go. She had called me Lucy for the first time. No one switched between my names. I was either Quinn or Lucy. Never both. I sagged onto the desk and blew a heavy breath out. After running my fingers through my hair a few times I took notice of the ache blooming in my chest. I'd hurt her.

"Fuck," I cursed softly. I let myself into the study room and sat in the oversize armchair. I drew my knees up to my chest and sighed. Resting my forehead between my knees I thought of my father. Not the twisted image from my dream or my last memory of him but the kind smile and laughing eyes. Tears sprung to my eyes, unbidden and stinging. "What do I do Dad? Do I let myself fall in love? Or do I kept fighting and ignore my own feelings? Can I do both?" I let the tears fall, marking darker tracks on my black trousers. I closed my eyes and wished for answers to my questions.

I awoke under someone's intense scrutiny and jerked my head up to take in my surroundings. I was still in the study. "You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you." Noah's soft voice drifted to me from by the door. I rolled my neck and glanced over at him. He was sat against the wall, his position mirroring mine except his head was leant back on the cold steel. I cleared my throat and ran my tongue around my dry mouth.

"What time is it?" Noah shrugged.

"Late. Paige wanted me to tell you that she was going to stay with Sally tonight, she wasn't feeling well." I nodded sadly, not entirely surprised with the knowledge. "Which I think is bull crap." I smirked at his use of words; for once not swearing when he normally would've.

"And why do you think that?" I questioned hoping he would lift my mood.

"Cuz Sally is fine and Paige has been in a bad mood all afternoon. What did you do?" I snapped my gaze back to him.

"What did **I** do? I did nothing more than offer my help." Fury bubbled up inside me and I felt my skin flush with heat.

"Whoa. Okay, I was just asking." He held his hands up in surrender. "So what happened?" I sighed and shifted slightly, running a hand over my face.

"I had a session with Steve today." Noah nodded that he knew. "I suggested to Paige that it might be a good idea for her to begin training. Until we understand what they did to her, it would be best for her to learn how to defend herself. She took from my words that I think her to be weak and unable to help herself." I finished with another sigh, looking into his warm brown eyes. "That wasn't what I meant."

"I know. At some point we all went through some training. Just give her some time, she'll see that you didn't mean-"

"If something happens here and we aren't around, there will be no one to protect the younger ones. She is new and doesn't understand that we are a family." I cut him off with irritation. Noah stood and moved in front of me, taking my hand in his.

"I know that. You know that. She just needs time," he reiterated softly. "Talk to her tomorrow." I hummed my assent and squeezed his fingers by way of thanks.

"I'm going to grab some food and head to bed." He dipped his head and helped my stand, pulling me into his embrace.

"Don't pull away from her." I closed my eyes against his words, unwilling to let him see the fear in my eyes. Running was my first course of action when it comes to feelings and he knew that.

"I won't. Thank you Noah." I pulled away and walked past him, hurrying into the cafeteria to sate my hunger. After eating alone, I slipped into the corridor that lead to the escape hatch at the rear of the compound. I keyed in that six-digit code and stepped into the tight vertical tunnel. I climbed from the ledge onto the ladder and descended into the dark shaft. Once I reached the bottom I turned left and followed the small lights dotting the walls at ankle height until I reached the end. I lifted the grate above my head and hoisted myself from the hole, making sure to replace the metal grill.

A swift breeze cut through my thin clothes and caressed my skin, raising goosebumps over my arms and torso. I crept into the nearest alleyway and climbed a fire escape to access the roof. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the distinctive glass dome that topped the only part of our compound that remained standing. Pushing off the tiny sill I padded across the roof and sat against the disused brick chimney stack. I looked to the sky and found the pale crescent moon hanging silently amongst the stars. Thoughts raced through my mind until I slipped into a dreamless sleep, stretched out on the old apartment roof.

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**A/N2: The angst was unexpected. I really didn't plan for it before hand. I hope this was good enough for the length of time you've been waiting. If not, I've kind of gotten back into the groove of the story so there shouldn't be another month long wait.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys, I have no defense for the ridiculously long wait for updates. Life has just been hectic. I completely understand if people have given up, it's nothing less than I deserve I guess. To those still reading, thank you and I love you. Any new readers? Hi, howdy. Thanks for coming. I hope you're enjoying this.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, if i did, Faberry wouldn't be restricted to fanfiction sites!**

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A scuffing sound broke me from oblivion and I narrowed my sleep leaden eyes as the harsh light of morning blinded me momentarily. The boot to my ribs banished the last tendrils of slumber and I cried out at the pain that exploded in my abdomen.

"Son of a bitch," I cursed as I rolled across the roof. I pushed to my feet and moved behind the solid brick stack, trying to catch my breath. Seconds later the man followed me, a perverse smirk twisting his lips. His brown hair was tied up in a neat pony-tail and his green eyes shone with malice.

"Now what is a young girl like you doing all alone up here?" He asked. The condescending tone only served to anger me.

"Why would I sleep in a gutter? I'd be more likely to find you there," I snapped back and watched in satisfaction as the smile was replaced by a scowl.

"You little- I'll show you where you belong," he growled whilst advancing with his arms out to the sides, cutting down my escape options. When he was a foot away from me he lunged forward; his hands grasping at air as I spun away. Using the momentum of the turn I lashed a backhand across his cheek and danced away with a cruel smile. He snarled in pain and caressed the increasing red patch on his face as he looked at me with a new sense of caution. "Lucky hit."

I laughed at him and rolled my eyes, ramping up the bravado to cover my fear. I dodged around the tall chimney and headed towards the ladder that would take me down to the street. A grunt drew my attention and I turned in time to see a broken piece of slate sailing towards my head. I ducked with a spilt second to spare and heard the tile fracture against the opposite building. The oaf glanced across at the ladder and then at me. I smirked and resumed my path as he fumbled to catch me. Holding on to the looped railings, I flipped myself over the ledge and braced to crash into the metal rungs. After the initial impact I scrambled to get my feet on the bars and began the climb down. A glance up told me he was following me.

I grimaced as he grunted from the exertion and pushed heat into my hands, warming up the cold iron. He looked down and was surprised to see me stationary until the skin in contact with the metal started burning. He cried out in pain and let go of the rail his was holding in favour of blowing on the tender skin. I quickly jumped down the last few metres and rolled with the impact as he thudded to the concrete on his back. I crawled over to him, ignoring my aching bones from the jarring landing and knelt next him. Blood was pooling beneath his head where it cracked against the alley floor and his eyes were glazing over rapidly.

"Why were you here?" I asked.

"Patrol," he answered weakly.

"Why? You never patrol these areas," I probed.

"Orders," he breathed with a grimace. He tried to lift his arm to his head to inspect the damage but it only made half the distance before dropping to his side once more. "If you're going to kill me girl, do it quickly."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and removed his gun from the holster. I let off the safety and held my breath before placing it against his forehead. "I'm sorry," I whispered as I squeezed the trigger. His body twitched once then relaxed completely as his eyes turned glassy and unseeing. Using his dark grey shirt I wiped the gun down, removing any traces of me from it and returned it to its holster. I stood and flicked my gaze around the narrow passage, settling on a pile of trash about halfway down the alley. With a resigned sigh, I looped my arms underneath his and dragged the body of the guard towards the mound of rubbish. It took a few minutes but eventually I had him covered by the garbage and out of sight.

I took off at a run, winding through the passages silently, leading anyone that might follow on a long and twisting journey until I reached the grate back into the sanctuary. I dropped into the hole and replaced the grid before making my way back into the building. The first person to see me was Noah, his eyes growing wide and fearful when he took in my appearance.

"Holy crap Quinn. Are you hurt?" He gaze was fixed on my torso so I glanced down, grimacing as I realised I was covered in the guards blood.

"Not my blood," I told him tensely wiping at my stained grey t-shirt. His eyebrow rose in a striking imitation of my own and his eyes told me that I would be explaining what happened to him. I waved him off and headed to the bathroom, needing to wash the events of the morning from my skin. As I peeled my clothes off the metallic scent of blood permeated the air and rolled my stomach. I hissed as the water needled into my shoulders, indicating wounds I wasn't aware of. Finally I felt clean enough to leave the safety of the shower and wrapped a towel around my chest carefully. I stood in front of the mirror and took in my reflection. I had a purple stain over my left shoulder and upper arm, growing darker by the minute as the bruising developed, my cheek was a little swollen and red and I had a cut above my right eyebrow. I turned to look at my back. The skin over my shoulder blades was cut and grazed by gravel and stones but it all seemed superficial.

"Just because I was angry at you, didn't mean you had to get into a fight." The soft voice spoke from behind me and I shifted so I could see them in the mirror. Sadness swam in Paige's deep brown eyes and she held her bottom lip firmly between her teeth; worrying at it. A small smile turned the corners of my mouth up but I betrayed no other emotions as I stared at her reflection.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," I replied tiredly. She pursed her lips and glanced at the ground before her gaze found my shoulders.

"Is it sore?" I bit back a snide remark and shook my head; unwilling to start another argument.

"Is Sally feeling better?" I asked in spite of myself.

"What?" She questioned before catching herself. "Oh yeah, she is thank you." A blush rose to her cheeks and she cast her gaze to her left, seemingly finding the tiles very interesting. I lifted an eyebrow but didn't comment on her slip. I turned to look at her properly but she refused to meet my eyes. With a sigh I retrieved my clothes and dropped the towel to change. I watched in amusement as the red tinge spread to her neck and chest until she cleared her throat and looked towards the door.

"It's a good idea," she mumbled in my general direction.

"What is?" I probed, pulling a black vest top on and adjusting it to sit comfortably over my wounds.

"The combat lessons." I snapped my gaze up and was met with apologetic chocolate orbs. "I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm sorry. I just- They made me feel weak and helpless. I couldn't fight them. I tried once but they beat me down. I don't remember a lot, but I remember that. Since I've been here I've not felt weak. Thanks to you. You made me feel strong, like I was in control. But in those few words, you reminded me I'm not." I just stared at her while she spoke, not wanting to interrupt her explanation.

"But you are. You survived. That's a strength not everyone has." I moved closer to her and lifted my hand to cup her cheek, but quickly thought better of it. She saw my hesitation and gripped my wrist, bringing my palm up to connect with the soft skin above her jaw. "I just want you to be able to protect yourself. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you."

She smiled softly and pulled me into her embrace. I slid my fingers into her hair and held her close, just feeling her as we reconnected.

"I missed you last night," she whispered against my neck, her breath tickling the fine hairs causing me to shiver.

"I missed you too," I admitted carefully. I pulled back slightly, resting my forehead against hers, and looked into her beautiful coffee coloured eyes. Her gaze flicked over my face and settled on my collarbone. Her fingers ghosted over the rapidly forming bruise.

"Oh Quinn," she murmured. "What happened to you?" I explained that I fell asleep on the roof and my rude awakening at the hands – or boot – of a guard. I sugar coated the fact that I had shot him but didn't leave it out altogether. As I finished my story Paige leant down a brushed her lips across the discolouration. My words dried out and my breath hitched in my throat at her gentle kisses. I tightened my grip on her hair slightly, holding her in place and encouraging her not to stop. She ran a hand up my side, her fingers coming to rest on my shoulder. From there she traced a swirling pattern up the back of my neck to the hairline before dragging her nails gently downwards. I couldn't stop the moan that erupted from my throat at the sensations she was creating on my skin.

I lost my patience and gave into the ache forming in my chest and tugged her hair gently, pulling her lips from my skin. I crashed our mouths together and sought her tongue out with my own. Her arms wrapped around my neck, holding me close to her and I gripped her hip with my other hand. Our tongues swirled and danced as Paige arched into me and drove me back against the cold tiled wall. One hand fisted my top while the other settled at the nape of my neck. In my need to be closer to her I slipped a leg between hers, earning a breathy groan when my thigh pressed against her centre. The sound jolted me back to reality and I slowed the kiss, ending it with a series of sweet pecks.

"Wow," she breathed between pants. I hummed my agreement and tried to slow my heart rate to something that could be considered reasonable. "We should do that more," she mumbled with her eyes fixed on my swollen lips. I chuckled at her slightly dazed expression and ran my thumb over her cheek affectionately.

"We'll take it slow, yeah?" She nodded and rested her head on my uninjured shoulder. I ran my fingers through her hair gently before sighing. "I should go. Noah is probably worried and I need his help with something. I'll talk to Derek as well." She huffed against my skin and I smiled in response before placing a kiss to her forehead as I carefully moved away from her. I lead her back into the atrium and found Derek and Steve talking quietly. It was more a series of facial expressions, head movements and grunts but it was their version of talking. They turned to me as I approached.

"What's up, boss?" Steve asked with an amused glint in his eye. I rolled my eyes.

"Paige is happy to go ahead with the training. We'll start this afternoon. Okay?" Derek nodded his agreement.

"We'll start after you've taken on Charlie," he agreed. I cursed inwardly. I had forgotten about that. It would be a tough fight in my condition.

"Sure, that's fine. We'll see you later." They turned back to their conversation, effectively dismissing us. I turned to Paige, squeezing her hand gently. "I have to go find Noah. I'll be back in a bit." She nodded and tipped forward onto her toes to plant a sweet kiss on my cheek.

"Be careful."

"I always am," I smirked at her. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at my shoulders before returning her gaze back to my face. "Usually," I added with a grin. She shook her head and pushed me away with a smile of her own. I turned and made my way into the tech room, hoping to find Noah with Amber. My search was successful and my friend was pouring over the schematics for one of the bases. "Hey Noah." He raised he head slightly before glancing over my clothes.

"You okay?" He asked softly. I nodded.

"I am. But I need a hand with something if you've got a minute." He rolled up the plan and set it aside before following me out of the room and along the path I took the previous night. "It's not going to be pretty; you can say no if you want." He just slid a side look at me and carried on walking. Once we had emerged onto the street I began explaining my morning to him, leaving nothing out. He shot me a sharp glare at some points and at others his eyes held overwhelming sympathy.

"You did what you had to do. He probably wouldn't have survived the fall and the head wound. But it's worrying if they are starting to patrol this area." I nodded my agreement.

"I know. I still don't like that I had to do it. Why couldn't he just leave me be and move on? Why was he checking the rooftops anyway? Too much is changing for my liking. We need to warn the teams about it." We came to the pile of rubbish in the alley that was covering the guard's body. Everything looked as I left it.

"Where are you thinking?" Noah asked softly. I looked pointedly to the sewer grate halfway down the passageway. "Oh, then where?"

"To the sea." He nodded but didn't look thrilled at the prospect of a trip in the sewers. "It's mid-morning. We should be fine. It's not that far, we'll be careful." I tried to soothe his fears, and my own.

"Okay," he agreed and began pulling some of the bags off of the corpse. Once he was clear I grabbed his wrists, not wanting to have to throw another set of clothes out, as Noah took his legs. We carried him to the cover, laying him down briefly while Noah lifted the solid metal lid. Once it was up we slid him carefully into the hole, grimacing slightly at the crunching thud of him landing. I lowered myself through the hole and landed next to the body as Noah used all of his skills to pull the cover back into place before dropping to the floor.

We took up the same positions, me with his arms and Noah with his legs, and started heading south through the rank drains. After about half an hour the air began to feel cooler and smell considerably better. As we approached the open mouth of the sewer, we slowed and eventually stopped. I snuck quietly to the entrance and glanced around, checking for sentries and cameras. Finding none, I crept back to Noah and we resumed carrying the body out of the large pipe and the fifteen or so metres to the water. We flung his body into the surf and watched as the rolling waves swept him further from the shoreline. Noah tugged on my wrist to gain my attention and motioned back to the culvert. I nodded and we raced back; keeping our eyes up on the walls, making sure we weren't spotted. As we jogged through the sewer a clacking noise slowed me.

"You hear that?" I whispered to Noah. He cocked his head slightly and his eyes widened.

"Shit! We need to go!" I nodded quickly, knowing we were being followed by one of the creatures that had made the sewer its home. We picked up the pace until we reached an area we were familiar with. "Up on Cherry Tree?" Noah asked raggedly from in front of me. I grunted a response, not slowing until I reached the now stationary Noah. I jumped as I met him and he gripped my ankles, propelling me upwards. I grabbed the bars either side of the manhole and waited for him to leap up behind me. Once he had a hold of the rungs I slid the cover up slightly, looking around for signs of life and finding none. I heaved the lid up and pulled myself from the hole, holding a hand out for Noah to join me.

I was just about to replace the cover when a monstrous rodent emerged beneath us. It vaguely resembled a rat but was the size of a large dog with huge fangs and razor sharp claws. It squealed out in frustration that its quarry had disappeared then turned and scurried off the way it had come. I glanced at my companion once the lid was in place and saw relief reflected in his eyes. I shook my head and we crept into quiet side street to regroup. Noah was right with his direction and we had come up on Cherry Tree Avenue. At one time the road was lined with the pink blossomed trees, making the spring a truly magical time to walk the once residential street. Now all that remained were the burnt and broken remains of the plants. We set off towards our sanctuary, arriving less than twenty minutes later.

I made my way to the cafeteria to grab some lunch before my duel with Charlie, not wanting to be distracted by hunger as well as the niggling injuries I was carrying. When I was done I removed my boots and headed for the training room. Inside I found Paige bent forward, stretching her legs out. My mouth went dry and my stomach flipped uncomfortably. The rough cough of Derek clearing his throat broke me from my staring contest with her butt and I was motivated into also stretching out my already fairly loose muscles. I shot a glance at the stoic brothers and was surprised to see identical grins stretching their mouths up. I rolled my eyes and focused back on my task. After a few minutes Charlie stepped up to me and flashed me a flirty smile.

"Ready boss?" I raised my eyebrow at the girl before nodding softly. I circled to the left watching her fluid, graceful movements. She seemed to glide over the matting rather than walk and for a second I was envious. In that moment she darted forward and flicked a fist towards my face but I spotted it in time and ducked. She shot me a smirk before her foot lifted to connect with my jaw, sending me flying backwards before I landed with a thud on my back. I groaned at the ache twisting its way up my spine but shook it off and rolled backwards, continuing my motion to push up into a standing position. Almost before I could set myself, Charlie was upon me again; a blur of punches, kicks and flips. I blocked most of the hits, taking a few along the way, until I noticed a pattern in her movements. I waited a beat to check I was right.

She threw her left fist out before swinging it back in towards my jaw, following a split second with her left knee to my abdomen. She lashed out with this combination every three or four blows. With a gentle smile I blocked, waiting for the next opening. As her left hand angled towards me, I ducked my head back and grabbed the knee heading for my ribs, putting all my weight into the kick I aimed at her stomach. She flew backwards and rolled a couple of times before colliding with the solid barrier of the wall. I leant back slightly and stretched my back out as I walked forward, ignoring the dull pain spearing through my right ankle with each step.

She pushed up onto her knees and eyes me wearily. I understood the look; not many people bested her in a fight. The pain and my frustrations from the morning poured into my movements as I lifted her onto her feet and sent a combination of uppercuts, hooks and straight jabs at her body and face. She fired off a few shots at me but the kick to her abs had left her weakened and unable to defend properly. I let up after a minute or so, seeing she had a split lip and a bruise was forming over her cheek. "We done?" I panted. She nodded and swallowed hard. I held out my hand, which she took gratefully.

"You repeat your combinations Charlie. The hook and knee," Derek interjected as Steve came over with two towels and two bottles of water. I accepted the latter eagerly and began gulping the tepid liquid down. I looked at Derek hesitantly, wondering what criticism I was in for this time. "Quinn, that was better. Your reactions have improved though you looked tired and sluggish." I merely raised an eyebrow at his smirk, for once wanting the monosyllabic boy I had gotten used to return. I noticed Paige watching me closely so I excused myself and wandered over to her, wiping down my face with a towel.

"How'd I do?" I asked with a gentle smile. She looked me over reproachfully.

"Should you really be fighting? Given the events this morning," she scolded softly, only concern flashing through her deep and soulful chocolate orbs.

"I'm okay. Promise. Anyway, if I'm hurting later you can always kiss it better," I whispered with wink. Her mouth fell open slightly and her eyes grew a little wider. I smirked at her adorably shocked expression, noticing the flirty banter came easily and flowed nicely.

"Paige? You ready?" Steve asked softly behind me. She nodded dumbly before she snapped out of her daze.

"You're mean," she murmured as she brushed past me. I swallowed my snigger, instead choosing to shoot her a sweet smile as she set herself. I sat against the wall as Steve and Derek began showing her the basic stances and punches she would hopefully never have to use.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So this chapter came ridiculously easily to me. It probably shows but I hope it stands up to your comments for the rest of the fic. Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think, good or bad.**

**Disclaimer: Usual, I own nothing, blah blah.**

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"Oh God. There!"

"There?"

"Uh huh. Ohhh."

"That feel good?"

"Mmm. A little harder."

I pressed my fingers into her trapezius firmly, trying to ignore the gentle moans falling from her lips like honey.

"You should have taken it easy in your first session," I admonished lightly.

"I felt fine at the time," she whined softly, squirming under my ministrations. A gentle hiss slipped between her teeth and I ran my fingers over the area again, working the knot from her muscle deftly.

"Of course you did," I replied with a chuckle. I shifted my weight slightly, moving back onto her thighs as I lowered my hands; working on her middle and lower back. Another moan made its way back to me and I fought to ignore the butterflies beating against my tummy. I was sure she was wholly unaware of the effects the slight fidgeting and breathy pants were having on me. I finished the massage and climbed off of her, moving quickly to my own bed; averting my eyes as she sat up and pulled a tee over her head.

"You want one?" She asked quietly, crimping her fingers in the air. "It probably won't be as good as you give, but I am happy to try." A shy smile twisted her lips up as soft rose tinged her cheeks.

"Nah, I'm good," I grinned with a shrug, hiding my desire behind a mask. I knew if she touched me right now I wouldn't be able to control myself and I'd break the 'take it slow' rule we had set earlier in the day.

"But I still get to kiss it better, right?" A devious smirk over took her expression, belying the innocent and bashful persona she sported a few seconds ago. My lips parted in a small 'o' and the air vanished from my lungs, leaving me unable to think clearly. She took my silence as an invitation and moved forward to stroke my cheek with the pad of her thumb. I held my breath as her lips moved closer until she captured mine in a sweet embrace. It was so different to our last kiss; where that was pure want and desire, this spoke of something deeper. An understanding and acceptance I'd never felt before, a trust so profound it engulfed me and an underlying emotion that scared me. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, but was so achingly familiar that it sent chills down my spine and electricity to the pit of my stomach. I'd read about this feeling in more books than I could count but never thought it would be something I'd find.

I tangled one set of fingers in her brown choppy locks and pulled her closer while my other hand gripped her waist. She swung a leg over my lap to straddle me and her fingertips brushed over my collarbone and throat, eliciting a harsh moan. She swallowed the noise easily whilst moving her gentle caress to my chest and shoulder, tracing intricate patterns over the sensitised skin there. Every nerve was alive and buzzing, overriding the rational side of my brain and spurring me on. I slipped my hand underneath her tee and let my fingertips dance over her ribs softly; relishing the trail of goosebumps I left in my wake.

A shriek broke us apart and I snapped my attention to the door, relieved to see a group of the younger children race past followed by a couple of slightly older kids. Laughter echoed into the room but was quickly swallowed by the intense atmosphere. I flicked my gaze back to Paige; delighting in the hooded eyes, lazy smile and swollen lips I found. Her fingers twirled idly through my hair, smoothing out the tangles she had created. I leant forward to brush my lips over hers lightly before resting my forehead against her shoulder.

"You're burning up," Paige whispered into my dirty blond locks.

"I wonder why," I teased quietly, smirking. She chuckled before stifling a yawn against the back of her hand. "Come on, we should sleep." I felt her nod and move from my lap. I lay down, pulling her with me so her back was flush to my front. I flipped the sheet over us and smiled as she snuggled further into my embrace. Her breathing evened out quickly, leaving me to concentrate on reining in my heat. Once I was cool enough I allowed myself to slip into a deep sleep.

-x-

"Why are we hitting that one first?"

"Because it's the least defended. It'll be an easier target."

"Well, why don't you hit more than one at the same time?"

"Because it increases the risk of losing people."

"But it'll surprise them. You could stagger it. Hit one then wait an appropriate amount of time then hit another." I raised an eyebrow at Paige and her questions. A small part of me regretted bringing her to the meeting and I could see Mike and Tina were becoming bored of the interrogation. The majority of me found it amusing. There was a soft sparkle in her eyes as she worked through the plan and a vibrancy in her movements as she put her points across.

"It is something to consider, but at the moment we should focus on the south wall base. If we find we have the capacity to expand our attack then we can proceed from there." She nodded, satisfied by my diplomatic answer, and turned back to the schematics laid out on the table. I shot a fond smile and raised my gaze to look at the rest of the team. Noah was smirking slightly with a warm glint in his eyes, Christopher was studying Paige; trying to figure her out and Derek and Steve were watching our interaction with matching raised eyebrows. I glared them down before rolling my eyes.

"Noah. How is your recon going?" I changed the subject quickly.

"Good. We have most of the teams mapped out. We need more time to get the specific details but it shouldn't take too long. We want to wait before finalising the route plans, in case we need to make changes." I nodded, pleased with his progress.

"Christopher, I need you let everyone know that the guards have taken to patrolling in this area. Can you get a team together to stand watch? I want every entry and exit point covered." Chris bobbed his head and hummed his agreement before making his way into the atrium. Derek and Steve took Paige out for another training session while I stayed and carried on going over the plans.

"So, my little girl is growing up?" I flashed my gaze to Noah who was sat on a desk; arms crossed over his muscular chest, lips twisted up into a wry grin.

"What?"

"You finally let her in," he answered as if it was obvious. I rolled my eyes, biting back a sarcastic remark.

"Yeah, I did," I admitted with a sigh.

"Have you told her you're in love with her yet?" I shot him a harsh glare as I gripped the pen in my hand; the plastic casing becoming very malleable in my hand as warmth rushed through my skin.

"Shut up," I warned him lowly.

"But you are."

"Noah. We are not talking about this now," I growled, unwilling to open that particular can of worms right now. I wanted to simply bask in the wonderful feeling having this new and incredibly fragile romance blossoming before my eyes. Now wasn't the time for in-depth, scary emotions; that could come later when we were more established as a couple, if that ever happened. I didn't want to give into sentiments that might never come into fruition. Nothing was certain in this world and I wasn't about to open my heart to have it broken on something so tentative and raw.

"Fine. But she deserves to know and you deserve to be happy." He emphasised his point by shoving his finger at first the door, then me.

"I am happy. I would've thought that is obvious." I replied a little defensively.

"It is and I know you are. I just want it to last."

"And I don't?" I questioned roughly.

"The last time you came close to happiness you shut down and used the excuse of 'being the boss'," he raised his fingers and crimped them to accent the quote. With speed even he would envy I leaped from the chair I had taken a seat on and rushed towards him. I dug my fingers into his shoulders and pushed him back against the wall, trailing my knee between his legs as a caution.

"You do not bring her up. Ever! Do you hear me?" I snarled dangerously. He gulped audibly before pushing the fear away.

"Yeah, that'll make it like it never happened. Liv happened Quinn. You can't just forget her."

"Shut up!" I gripped into him harder, unwilling to use any real force even in my anger. Deep down I knew he was telling the truth.

"No Quinn. For once I'm not going to. She was my friend too." He voice grew soft towards the end, drifting off to a whisper. Tears stung the back of my eyes but I refused to back down.

"You knew her for a month!"

"And yet I was the one there at the end. Where were you?" He knew he had pushed too far before he had even finished talking. I hauled off and slugged him across the cheek. His hand flew to the reddened area as he poked it gingerly, testing for any real damage.

"Fuck you Noah." I stormed out of the room and through to the tiny study, dropping into the large comfy chair with a strangled cry. Tears wet my cheeks as I pulled my feet up onto the cushion, resting my forehead on my knee and I let myself cry.

_"Lucy, wait up!"_

_"Come Liv, don't be such a slow poke," I teased my friend with a laugh. She skipped up to me and sent a light slap at my arm. I chuckled again and we carried on walking along the residential street. I watched in fascination as Olivia's turquoise sun dress swished with each graceful step, wishing I was girly enough to wear such pretty things. I glanced down at my own clothes; lightly ripped jeans and a black tank. _

_"You know, I heard Carrie say that she was going to ask you to the dance next week. Wouldn't that be amazing?" I glanced at Liv's face, reading the excitement in her bright green eyes. _

_"I guess," I mumbled, hating being such a killjoy._

_"Are you still sure you don't want to go? Not even with Carrie Styme. You have had a crush on her for ages." She prodded my bicep with a wink._

_"Even with Carrie. Those dances are stupid. You get all dressed up for no reason, they play a bunch of crappy music, someone always spikes the punch and then you're expected to go to second base with someone," I took a breath, grimacing at the thought of the appalling music they would force on the poor students. "And I have not had a crush on her for ages. I just said she was pretty last year and now everyone thinks I like her."_

_"Wow, only you could sound so passionate about the music played a dance and so grossed out at the thought of kissing someone!" She exclaimed._

_"Not grossed out. I just don't see why I should have to just because it's expected of me," I argued pathetically._

_"Would it be so bad to kiss Carrie?" She wondered, looking at me pointedly._

_"Probably," I mused. "She's not my type."_

_"Well, who is your type?" She asked scandalously. I giggled at her, marvelling at how different we were._

_"I dunno, I guess I like Nadia." She gasped and pressed her palms to her mouth._

_"Nadia Thaller? The tall brunette in Adam's class?" I nodded confirmation, amused by Liv's reaction. Adam was Olivia's brother and a year older than us. "But she's not even from the city!" _

_Nadia and her parents had moved to the city from a southern town near the coast. Her lilting accent was so rich and gorgeous and only seemed to accent her physical features. Her lightly tanned skin was flawless and offset the deep coffee colour of her hair and ice grey of her eyes. It was a combination that could immediately disarm you and have you eating from the palm of her hand in no time. _

_"And? That doesn't matter. She's interesting and likes proper music," I countered. Liv rolled her eyes and huffed._

_"Have you even spoken to her?" I asked petulantly._

_"Yes. We were next to each other in detention the other week." I smirked recalling the lengthy discussion we had about amazing jazz singers. _

_"You never told me!" Olivia gasped. I raised an eyebrow at her and laughed. _

_"I forgot," I tried with a grin._

_"No you did not! What happened?" I recounted our conversation, finishing just as we made it to the park. "Music? You spent the whole hour talking about music?" She asked incredulously. "Only you!"_

_"And Nadia," I interjected smugly, taking a seat against a tree near the pond. "And it was longer than an hour, we didn't realise detention was done. We nearly broke curfew." Liv dropped next to me with a long sigh. _

_"You shouldn't be so reckless. That's the third time this month." I reached out and gripped her hand. _

_"I'm sorry. I will be more careful, I promise." She nodded blew out a breath. "What are you wearing to the dance then?" She smiled and proceeded to describe her dress to me._

_-x-_

_I stumbled through the doors, ears still ringing from the charge Noah had set off. I gripped the keys in my hands and steadied myself against a metal pillar. As I pressed a hand to my ear, I winced at the flickering light on the ceiling. Orange sparks dropped rhythmically to the floor in front of a cell. Four pairs of terrified eyes stared out at me and spurred me into action. I launched forward and began trying each key in the heavy metal lock._

_"My name is Quinn. I'm going to get you out of here okay?" At four heads nodding I continued, "Are any of you injured?" I received four soft "no's" as I finally found the right key. I opened the barred door slowly, not wanting any sudden movements to scare them. "What are your names?"_

_"Robert."_

_"Sam."_

_"Andrew."_

_"Andie." _

_None of the kids could be older than six or seven, all were dirty and shivering. I quickly checked each one over, making sure there were no major injuries; despite their denial. _

_"We can't leave Olive!" Andie proclaimed as I began ushering them towards the door. She pointed at a small cell, no bigger than a large dog cage, tucked in the corner. _

_"Okay. One second. Don't move," I ordered gently. I crept towards the wire cell and noticed a bundle of blankets in one corner. "Olive?" I called out softly. The blankets rustled slightly but quickly fell still. I reached the cage and checked the lock; it was a flimsy piece of metal that could be broken easily. I grabbed the lock and pushed heat through my hand, warming the aluminium up quickly then wrenched it to the side; snapping the arm effortlessly. A hushed whimper came from the bundle of cloth as I opened the door. I pinched a corner between my fingers and began pulling the material back slowly when the blankets flew back and a young girl hurled herself at me, fingers digging into my throat. The momentum threw me back and I landed with a huff. I reared my fist back but stopped when I found dull green eyes trained on my face._

_"Liv?" I asked brokenly. She cheeks were hollow and gaunt, her red hair short and lifeless; hanging over her ears limply. "Oh my God. Liv, is that you?"_

_"Lucy?" Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper, relief filling her eyes along with tears. She let go of my throat and wrapped her arms around my neck. I returned the embrace, ignoring just how painfully thin she felt, instead concentrating on the fact that I had found my best friend alive. _

_"Come on Liv, we have to get you out of here," I probed gently. She nodded against me and tried to stand up but her legs gave way and she dropped back to the floor. I bent and scooped her up; one arm underneath her legs, the other around her back. "Come on guys, let's go." The four kids nodded enthusiastically and followed my lead as I snuck from the room, checking to make sure the way was clear. _

_-x-_

_"What do you mean she's ill?" I stared at Claire as if she had grown an extra head and was telling me I was the strange one._

_"Whatever they did to her, it's killing her. I'm sorry Quinn, there's nothing I can do," I could see she was hating giving me this news. _

_"You have to be able to do something. I can't lose her again. I won't!" I rounded on her, glaring her down, praying she would be able to think of something to save my friend._

_"There is nothing. Without knowing what they did to her, I can't even begin to synthesise a compound to try and combat the effects. It's just too dangerous, it could kill her," she finished quietly._

_"It's gonna happen anyway right?" I yelled. Anger coursed through me. I was angry at everything, everyone. How was it fair that I find my best friend, alive against all odds just to have her succumb to illness 3 weeks later? "How long does she have?" I queried, my voice cracking under the emotion._

_"A few days, a week tops. All I can do is give her some pain relief and keep her comfortable." A tear escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek slowly. I followed its progress until it dripped from her jaw to the white coat she was wearing. All I could do was nod and follow her into the room. Olivia lay on the back bed surrounded by monitors and wires. An IV ran into the back of her hand, feeding a saline drip and an oxygen tube sat on her face, disappearing up her nose._

_"Oh Liv. What did they do to you?" I whispered at no one in particular. At the sound of my voice her eyes opened and she turned her head towards me._

_"Lucy? Are you okay? You look upset?" I smiled at her concern and shook my head, fighting to keep the tears at bay._

_"You know me, I'm fine." My voice held up and didn't crack, which I was thankful for._

_"You always say that," she winced as a cough bubbled up. "Noah was in here earlier, he's a charmer." I smirked softly._

_"Yeah, but he is trouble. If he tells you he loves you, don't believe it." She laughed dryly before another cough erupted from her throat. More quickly followed and I held her hand as they passed, offering her a sip of water when she had regained her breath. I spent the following few days by her bedside, feeding her when she was too weak and wiping her brow when her fever flared. After the third day she fell into a coma with very little chance of coming back out. At that announcement I left the room. I saw her once after that day; wearing a simple black dress surrounded by the soft pink material lining her coffin. I found a plot next to her parents and organised for her to be laid to rest there._

I opened my eyes, pulling myself from the painful memories to see a glass of water and a plate of food by the door. I glanced around, not sensing anyone in the room and not finding a sign of life I moved to pick up the gift left for me. I shovelled the food down, unaware I was so hungry and gulped every last drop of water. I stacked the glass on top of the plate and carried it through to office. Noah was sat on the small swivel chair at the desk, head resting on his crossed arms on the desk; gentle snores coming in at regular intervals. I smiled softly and ran my hand over his hair whilst putting the plate down. He stirred slightly and opened his eyes, panic setting in as he quickly checked his mouth and chin for drool.

"You're good," I placated as he swiped at his face. He smiled sheepishly then noticed the plate.

"You know I'm rubbish at apologies," he mumbled.

"As apologies go, it was pretty good. Very timely. I didn't realise how hungry I was." He nodded, his eyes downcast. "You were right." His gaze snapped up to mine. "Don't get used to it," I teased and was rewarded with a gentle grin.

"I shouldn't have said-"

"It's fine. It hurt, but that's probably just because it was true. I need to stop running from it. She would've hated that," I interrupted with a wave of my hand. "We should get back." He nodded and rose, taking the plate; dropping it off in the cafeteria on his way back to the tech room. The day flew by, filled with tentative plans and personnel lists. Derek sauntered into the room late in the afternoon.

"You could take her out tomorrow," his voice slightly more animated than usual.

"It's been two days," I exclaimed.

"She's a fast learner." I thought back to our kissing session the previous night, how she seemed to know my weak points as her fingers grazed over my skin.

"I don't doubt that," I murmured with a shiver. Derek merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"She's good enough to take to the run." With a soft grunt he walked back out. Noah looked at me with a smirk.

"If she were any other kid, would you take her out?" I groaned at his question. He seemed to be in the mood to challenge all my decisions today.

"Probably," I answered honestly. He spread his hands, palms facing the ceiling as if to say 'well there you go'. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Fine. But you and Derek are coming with me. I'm not taking any chances with the increased patrols in the area." He hummed his affirmation with an excited grin.

"I love taking newbies to the run." He bounced lightly on his stool. I chuckled at him and stood, stretching my back out. He followed my lead and we headed to the cafeteria to have an early dinner, knowing we were headed to sleep straight after. Heading out to the run always required being up before dawn. I took a detour to find Paige and explained our plans for the following day. She seemed both scared and enthusiastic at the same time. We ate a simple dinner and retired to get some much needed rest.

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**A/N2: I wanted to give you a little more of Quinn's past to help understand why she is so reluctant to give anything on a personal level. I hope it helps anyway.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here's some fluff, some answers and a little more fluff. Thank you to everyone who is has stuck with me. For those that haven't/aren't, I'd like to know why. Not in an angry way, I'm just curious. I'd like critique, it think it's important to be able to improve as a writer.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Glee, same as usual.**

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A soft beeping roused my from my slumber. With a moan I removed the small ear insert that acted as an alarm clock; so as not to wake the other kids and gently shook Paige's shoulder. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead," I mumbled next her ear. I smirked at the murmured curse that was thrown back to me. I poised my fingers over her ribs. "I'll tickle you awake."

"You wouldn't," she grumbled. I brushed my nails over her sides. "Okay, I'm up," she whined quietly, sitting up to prove her point.

"Black combats and a black tee," I advised as she began gathering her clothes. She nodded before bundling the material and heading out to the bathroom. I grabbed my own similar garb and followed her out. Once washed and changed we found Noah and Derek having a quick breakfast of porridge. We set out along the 'front door' passage I first brought Paige through, then turned right into a twisting alleyway. We made it a few blocks before Noah ducked back behind a wall, not warning anyone that he was stopping causing Paige to bump into him. He whipped around with a grimace.

"Ops. They've set up an improvised roadblock. There's about a dozen." I closed my eyes and sighed. This was not what we needed today. I glanced at Paige and saw she was looking at me wearily. I gripped her hand and intertwined our fingers, trying to convey some comfort.

"Noah, head up top and see if you can find a safe way for us to get around them. Derek, check the way we've just come, make sure they haven't closed it off as well." The two boys nodded quickly before heading off in their various directions; Noah leaping up to grab the bottom rung of a fire escape and Derek retracing our steps. I turned to face Paige.

"So, this might get a bit hairy. I need you to follow my lead and just stay safe, okay?" She nodded with wide eyes and her hold on my fingers tightened. Derek returned a few minutes later.

"They've got a pair of guards covering our tails. Just camped off Broad and Cliff. Not moving." I bobbed my head and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. "Come on Noah," I muttered under my breath.

"A hand?" I heard Noah's shout from across the road. I shot Paige a look, telling her silently to stay where she was then ran out of the alley with Derek to join Noah. He was backed into a corner between a wall and a building. I cursed quietly at his luck and moved forward to help him.

"You need to work on staying out of trouble," I bit off at Noah as I grabbed an op around his throat and jerked him backwards. He fell on his ass then scrambled to regain his footing. Noah moved forward quickly and flipped over three guards to land near Derek. As the sentries began circling us I noticed Paige was next to me. I shot her an exasperated look as she shrugged.

"I was worried about you," She whispered. I sighed and nodded then switched my attention to the grey and green clad sentinels. I cursed as two more ops turned the corner, joining the circle around us. Noah cracked his knuckles and smirked at the nearest guard to him. "You ready to go big boy?" He asked mockingly. The man just stared, not hinting that he had even heard. Paige whimpered next to me and I manoeuvred her behind me. Derek stood stoically, waiting for one of them to make a move.

"Leave and there won't be any trouble." I gave them the option. The only concern I had was the guns tucked into holsters at their hips. Weapons aside, I knew we would be fine in a fist fight. The op in front of me removed his helmet and I gasped as I recognised his face. St James. He flashed me at same slimy grin before raking his eyes over body.

"Maybe I want trouble." He replied lowly as he threw the visor over his shoulder letting it hit the pavement with a loud clatter. I scoffed and flexed my fingers, pushing heat outwards.

"You'll get it then." I stepped forwards as he reached for his gun. As he fired I batted his hand low and to the left and the bullet shot off down the road. I gripped the already warmed barrel and supercharged my hands. I heard a gentle sizzle and St James screamed before letting go of the heated metal. "Aww, is trouble too hot for you?" I taunted, cocking my head to the side and re-evaluating the smarmy piece of trash. He grasped his left hand around his right wrist and grimaced as the palm of his right hand began melting. He turned and ran along the alleyway, not glancing backwards.

The two flanking ops looked between my hands and my face, fear filling their eyes. I heard Noah urge them on and then a meaty smack. I prayed he knew what he was doing as the guard to my left launched himself at me. He wrapped one hand around my wrist and the other around my throat; squeezing with both. I coughed as he crushed my windpipe then gasped as air filled my lungs suddenly. Paige stood next to me, determination twisting her face into a soft grimace. In her hands she held a long beam of wood that now had a small dent in it. In front of me the op was cradling his arm against his chest with gritted teeth. I raised my leg and kicked the heel of my boot into his face; breaking his nose with a spray of blood and dropping him to the floor in a heap.

Paige turned and swung her weapon like a club, catching the op to my right on the shoulder. He spun away and I sidled up behind him, wrapping my arm around neck and squeezing until he went limp. I turned to see three goons forming a triangle around Paige as Noah flipped over a guard, gripping into the bullet proof vest and using his strength and momentum to heave him into a wall; he crumpled to the pavement and didn't move. Derek was backing up towards the corner again, taking a handful of guards with him. I focused back on Paige as she turned in a tight circle; eyes wide and fearful. I moved to race towards her at the same time as the three goons. She dropped into a crouch, curling up and tucking her head into her arms, looking for all the world like a small child cowering from a monster. Time seemed to slow as I battled to beat the guards to her. A spilt second later the air seemed to pulse around her and the ops flew off their feet, landing a couple of metres away. Residual waves came off her as she raised her head and stared at me dumbfounded. I held her gaze, equally as shocked. I'd never seen someone able to manipulate the atmosphere before.

Noah's enthusiastic cheering broke me from the staring contest I was having with Paige and with a glance around I realised that the ops had either run away or were unconscious. I made my way to her, fighting through the last of the pulses that emanated from her and pulled her to her feet. "We have to go." She nodded mutely and allowed me to drag her into the alley with Noah and Derek following us, alert for anymore threats. I allowed my mind to ponder the possibility that the guards had been planted and were wanting for us, but how they would know was beyond me. It was more likely that they had set up a temporary road block until the permanent one could be put in place and had seen us in another alleyway, making this a chance encounter. I didn't want to consider the possibility that it was a trap. As we approached the shelter Noah skipped ahead and made sure we could just walked straight in without stopping. I thanked him with a nod and took Paige straight to Claire.

After explaining what had happened and Claire's promises to look after her I made my way to the tech area. I found Amber seated at the computer. "I need to look at those files. The patient files." She looked at me, confused for a second, then stood and retrieved four small cards from a locked tub on her desk.

"They are all saved on there." I took the cards and found a spare computer to use. I slid one of the small plastic rectangles in the reader and waited for it to load. The file label was for the base nearest the city gates. I opened the main file and saw it was broken down into ages. They had 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16+. I began with the 16+ file and began trawling through, ignoring the names and concentrating on the nature of the experiment. They spanned all aspects of human abilities. I noticed that quite a few other people had been labelled under 'heat exploration' and I wondered if that was the same experiments that I underwent. Some of the names appeared red with a date next to them and I figured out that they were deceased patients. I pushed down my anger and carried on with my purpose. Soon I found a classification of Electromagnetic Energy. I opened the case file for the boy – Scott Alberts – and read his case notes.

- _The enhanced serum (cat56H) has been administered to Subject 00887601 with no _

_ measurable side effects._

- _Tests indicate electromagnetic disturbance only seems to occur in moments of heightened stress or pain. To be investigated further._

- _Further injections with serum (cat56H) have increased subjects ability to influence his own electromagnetic field. Subject has displaced small objects within a foot radius of his body. To be investigated further._

- _Subject was exposed to pain in an attempt to further trials. Unfortunately subject expired during investigation._

There were drawings and scientific ramblings to accompany the notes but they blurred up as tears filled my eyes. Scott Alberts had died during an experiment. I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand and re-read the notes. 'Electromagnetic disturbance only seems to occur in moments of heightened stress or pain.' I thought back to Paige cowering on the ground, flinging the ops away from her. 'Subject has displaced small objects within a foot radius of his body'. This had to be it. I close Scott's file and carried on searching through the remaining ones, looking for the same classification. I found a further three on the card. One, a young girl of 9 had died after the first injection of the serum and the other two; a 10 year old and a 13 year old, both boys had died at the first introduction of the pain experiments. I trawled through the second file with no success; there were no mentions of Electromagnetic Energy in it. I found what I was looking for on the third card. The base was located just inside the walls close to the docks.

_File: Rachel Berry (10568405)  
Age: 13  
Classification: Electromagnetic Energy  
Tests: Positive_

- _Enhanced serum (cat56Ha) had been administered to Subject 10568405 with no measurable side effects._

- _Tests indicate electromagnetic disturbance only seems to occur in moments of heightened stress or pain. To be investigated further._

- _Further injections with serum (cat56Ha) have increased subjects ability to influence her own electromagnetic field. Subject has displaced objects within a two foot radius of her body. To be investigated further._

- _Subject displaying a sense of Magnetoception. She could locate humans within a five feet radius of her body once blind folded. To be investigated further._

- _Subject exposed to pain in an attempt to further trails. Experiment successful. Pain seems to heighten ability to displace objects. To be investigated further._

- _Subject undertook several trails to test her ability. Was successful on each task with the help of heightened discomfort. To be investigated further._

- _Final dose of serum (cat56ha) administered. Relocated for further tests._

- _Subject escaped into city. Searches have proved negative._

_Years: 4_

I'd found her. Rachel Berry. I shouted to Amber to print off the page I was looking at. I ripped the paper from the machine and gave her back the cards, thanking her profusely. I found Claire outside the medical room, talking to Sally.

"She's fine Sal, just tired."

"Then why won't you let me see her."

"Because she's sleeping. Or supposed to be, but she won't be able to if you keep shouting."

Sally pouted and stormed off, stamping her feet purposefully against the concrete floor on her way. I smirked at Claire who just shrugged helplessly. She noticed the paper in my hand and raised an eyebrow at me.

"I think I've found what they did to Paige." The eyebrow joined the first and she stared at me, surprised.

"Go on then, what've you found?"

"There was a boy called Scott Alberts that was taken a few months before Paige. They injected him with a serum that affected his electromagnetic field." I paused as Claire's lips quirked into a disbelieving smile. "He was able to move things placed within a foot of him. They tried to up the experiments, using pain as a stimulus, but he died." She shook her head as her eyes closed and a heavy sigh hissed through her lips. I understood her completely. "I think this is what they did to Paige." I handed over the sheets of paper and waited patiently while she read them over. Her mouth hung slightly open.

"So our Paige is actually a seventeen year old Rachel Berry?"

"I think so. Everything seems to fit. I want to try putting it to her and seeing if it jogs her memory, if you think she's up to it?" She thought it over for a second her nodded her consent. I entered the room ahead of her and saw Paige curled up in the chair, her head resting against the high back. She smiled shyly when she saw me but didn't move from the chair. "Hey you. How are you feeling?" I asked quietly.

"Tired," she replied with a weary grimace. I smiled softly and knelt in front of her.

"I think I have some news if you're up for it." She lazily lifted an eyebrow.

"About me?" I nodded. "Okay. What have you found?" I took a breath and composed myself, trying to get my jumbled thoughts into some semblance of order before I spoke.

"After what happened this afternoon, I thought we might have a better chance of finding you on the database of names. I was right. I found a hand full of people that could possibly do what you did, but only one fit the bill." Paige sat forward, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She glanced at the pieces of paper.

"That's me?" I followed her gaze and hummed a confirmation. "Read it to me?" Her voice broke at the end, trailing to a whisper. I cleared my throat and started reading the notes, leaving out certain trigger words that she didn't need to hear. I ended with the details of the file. She took the piece of paper from me, her face blank and unreadable.

"Rachel Berry. My name is Rachel Berry?" She questioned quietly. A tear tracked down her cheek and dripped from her chin. Soon it was followed by more until they were running in ragged streams down her face. I pulled her from the chair on to my lap and into my arms, rocking her gently as she sobbed against me. After a while she quieted down but continued clinging to me desperately. "I still don't remember."

"It's okay, Sweet. We'll find out who you are. I promise," I assured her, brushing my fingers through her hair lightly.

"I believe you," she told me, her voice full of trust and honesty.

**-x-**

"Try."

"I am."

"Try harder."

"I have. I can't do it."

"You can. I've seen it."

"Derek, maybe you should just give her a minute," I interjected before Rachel tried to clock him. He turned to me, shooting me a viscous scowl before stalking to the corner and grabbing a drink. Rachel looked at me sullenly. "You can do this, sweetheart. It's inside you; you just have to find it." I placed my hand on her chest; above her heart and smiled. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a few seconds before sighing loudly.

"I can't feel it. How do you find yours?" I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand to my stomach.

"I can feel the warmth here," I explained. "It's like a ball of fire, I see it hovering inside me, rolling and licking at my organs but never hurting. I see it expanding, spreading out through my arms to my hands; the skin glowing like gold." As I talked her through the process my palm and fingers began heating up slightly, infusing her wrist with my warmth. She stared at my hand curiously.

"So I could try that?" She questioned. I bobbed my head noncommittally. I stepped back and let her focus. She levelled her gaze at the ball set a foot away from her then closed her eyes. I backed over to Derek.

"If this doesn't work, we need to try something else," I whispered to him. He nodded and raised an eyebrow. I understood the question, 'Like what?' "Rush her." I hated the idea of scaring her, but until we got her to replicate the power we couldn't work on it. His mouth twitched slightly and I knew he disliked the idea as well, but short of any other ideas he conceded that it maybe all we have. After a few minutes she slumped her shoulders and bowed her head, giving into defeat. I pressed an elbow into Derek's ribs and he took the hint.

He stepped forward quietly until he was a good distance from her then he ran at her, not holding anything back. He let out a war cry to add to the effect and Rachel turned with a squeak and held her hands up in defence. Derek grunted softly as the first wave hit him, throwing him back against the steel wall. Rachel turned her hands around to stare at them.

"It didn't come from your hands Rachel. It came from you as a whole," I told her, waiting for the residual pulses to lessen enough for me to wrap her in my arms. "Do you feel it now?" She nodded against my neck. I pulled back. "Try again. Find it again. Wrap it around yourself and move the ball." She nodded firmly and turned to the object on the floor. I walked to Derek and helped him up, steadying him as he swayed on his feet.

"Ouch," he commented dryly. "You can take that next time." I smiled and hummed my acceptance. Rachel's brow was furrowed and her mouth set in a straight line as she focused on moving the ball. A gentle pulse flowed from her and rolled the football a few feet. She turned to me, a wide smile lightly up her face.

"I did it. I can't believe I did it!"

"You did!" I wrapped her up in my arms and spun her around once. She launched forward and captured my lips with hers in a scorching kiss that had me forgetting Derek was still in the room. He cleared his throat ineffectually a few times before coughing loudly. We broke apart sheepishly and I let Rachel go with a wink. Derek stepped forward and reset the ball in its original position.

"Do it again." Rachel frowned at him but fixed her gaze on the ball anyway. He kept pushing her to try and hit it harder; not giving her a minute's respite. The pulses seemed to get weaker as the session went on and after an hour I called a halt to it.

"I think it's just tiring her out now. We'll try again tomorrow." Rachel looked at me gratefully as Derek raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"I've got Charlie in tomorrow teaching the younger kids until lunchtime. Afternoon is free." I nodded my thanks and took Rachel by the hand, leading her through to the showers via our beds to get some clean clothes. After hot showers we snuck some food from the cafeteria back to our beds and had a relaxed dinner lounging on the pile of sheets and blankets. When we were done I leant against the wall while Rachel lay with her head in my lap.

"I remember when I was younger, maybe 6, my mother used to indulge me by sitting for hours and braiding my hair," she spoke up softly as I ran my finger through her short chocolate locks. "Obviously it was longer and nicer then."

"Can you remember much about your mother and father?" I asked quietly, not wanting to ruin the mood.

"Mother and fathers," she corrected discreetly. I hummed an apology and waited for her to continue. "My fathers wanted a child so they engaged a friends' services to have me. They didn't want to deny her the opportunity to raise me as well so she moved in with them and they raised me together. I remember almost everything about my childhood, it's just the day they took me that gets a little hazy." We remained in comfortable silence for a little while before she took another deep breath. "Do you remember anything about being taken?"

"Everything," I answered as my fingers stalled their movements for a second before continuing. "My parents hid me in a wall in the house and told me to stay there and keep quiet no matter what. My mother stressed the importance of me staying silent and still regardless of what I saw and what happened. I think they knew what was coming." I paused, my gaze focused on the short plait I was creating in her hair. "They came looking for me. My father told them I was out and that was all he knew but they didn't believe him. They shot my mother to try and get him to talk but it only spurred him to silence then they shot him too. I saw it all from a vent in the wall." Rachel sat up and pulled me into a hug.

"Oh Quinn. That's awful. Did they find you there?"

I shook my head. "No. I waited until they left, until after they'd taken my parents bodies and then snuck out. I tried to go to my best friend's house but she's been taken that afternoon as well as they'd left an op there in case I tried to see her. I had nowhere to go, no one else I could turn to for help, so I just wandered around the city. Eventually I was spotted and identified by a guards and the started chasing me. I evaded them for a good few hours but they ultimately caught up with me when I jumped from a jetty in the harbour. They took me by sea to the base outside the city." Rachel's eyes were wide and a tear ran down the crease between her nose and cheek. I brush it away with my thumb and cupped her cheek. "That was nearly five years ago. It doesn't completely heal, but I like to think the scare helps you remember, helps to keep their memory alive."

"I'm so sorry, honey." I smiled softly at the term of endearment and leant forward to place a gentle kiss against her full lips.

"Thank you," I whispered, my forehead pressed to hers; not wanting to remove the level of intimate contact we had.

"What for? I haven't done anything?" She questioned quietly.

"For listening. It's never felt this easy to talk about it," I tried to explain. Her lips twitched up and she pulled me into another tight hug, manoeuvring enough to lay us down and curl up to my side.

"I could listen to you forever," she whispered into my neck sweetly. I pulled her closer to me and dropped my head to lay a kiss in her hair before I let sleep embrace me.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry it's taken a little while to get this up, life is trying to desperately to kick my ass at the moment but I'm determined not to let it.  
I did a little happy dance with the chapter as I realised I've passed 40k words. Whoop. Anyway, without further ado; Chapter Ten. (Any mistakes are mine.) Reviews are most welcome, they keep me going!**

**Disclaimer: Usual blah!**

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The days passed quickly, my time filled with plans, schematics, defences and training. Noah, Tina and Mike had come through with flying colours with the guard's information. Rachel was improving immeasurably as her confidence in her abilities increased.

"This is everything?" I asked as Amber handed me the collated file. She nodded then handed the floor over to Noah with a shy smile and rose pink cheeks. I noticed the bashful, downcast eyes of Noah and wondered if they'd made any progression towards a relationship. For all of Noah's bravado and calling me out on all my flaws, he just couldn't seem to take the next step himself. I smirked when I met his cocoa eyes and they narrowed into a glare.

"So," he growled before quickly clearing his throat and continuing. "We have written up in each pack a schedule of shifts. Who each man is, when their breaks are, what time they get there, what time they start, when they finish their shift and finally when they leave the site. There are minimal personal details; we couldn't always get close enough to hear everything, but we have any and all family information for them, which admittedly isn't much. Mostly they keep girls as toys, not many of them have partners and none of them have kids as far as we could tell." I nodded darkly. The news of the girls wasn't particularly surprising but it did anger me as I flashed back to St James on the boat talking about taking me for a ride.

"Do we know who these girls are?" I asked.

"No. They use first names only or initials. We've tried looking through the databases of kids but there are just too many possibilities." I thanked Noah with a nod.

"Ok. Christopher, I assume you've listed the best routes?" I turned to the green eyed 12 year old. He took the portfolio from me and flipped to a certain page.

"Each route is drawn on the maps. The first three are the best; we think, and the rest are either possible paths or good diversionary leads if we need them." I studied the three maps closely, following the plotted lines with my finger until I was satisfied.

"Good. Now we need to talk personnel. Who is going, who is staying." We sat and listed each group, where they would be and their tasks. "We have too many." I stated with a slight frown.

"How about Paige's – uh – Rachel's plan? Attack two at once," Noah interjected. I smirked at the name slip but started to seriously consider the possibility of hitting more than one base.

"We'll need to over the same process as this one. Do you have one in mind?" I asked Noah. He looked at me blankly for a second then composed himself.

"The North Wall base. We're equidistant between it and the south base." He slid the plan over to me, finger hovering over a series of rooms and corridors. "They have a rat run for escape but only marginally more security defences than the southern base." I nodded my thanks and scanned the schematics quickly.

"Okay. Same routine as before. I want to know everything there is to know about anyone that so much as looks at the building. Derek, you and I need to go over the groups of people. Who is best where, that kind of thing." The blond boy nodded and began studying the lists we'd already made. I glanced at Christopher and Noah as they stood up, silently telling them to be careful. They both acknowledged my worry with wry smiles before heading out of the room with Tina and Mike.

"Do you want to include Rachel?" Derek queried after a few minutes. My pen stopped its movement over the paper and I looked at him sombrely.

"Yes and no. I want her as close to me as possible but then I don't want to have to worry about her and get distracted from what I'll be doing. This requires my full attention. I don't know." His steel grey eyes flicked over my face once before moving back to the pad beneath his hand. He put a question mark against Rachel's name then moved on to the next one. His list consisted of everyone over the age of 13 and a few younger than that. The younger ones were all synths; far more advanced than their equivalents from the captured kids, but there were none younger than 10 in that group.

We spent the rest of the morning and good apart of the afternoon dividing the list between the bases, making sure we had each area of expertise covered. Derek would lead the team against the South base; I was headed for the Northern compound. We wrote up a rota of shifts for people staying behind; a few great fighters, a group of kids with more defensive powers and the quicker, more agile of the foragers. I was still contemplating the dilemma of Rachel when she poked her head around the door with a coy smile.

"Did you forget about me Derek?" His head snapped up as a sheepish look covered his usually passive features. He glanced at the clock quickly before turning back to her.

"Sorry Rachel, I've just been busy," he gestured to the lists around him. Rachel merely smiled a little wider and stepped fully into the room, her eyes sweeping over me slowly.

"It's okay; I understand that you couldn't bear to leave Quinn's presence. I often have that problem myself." She smirked as I raised my eyebrow and I just shook my head at her antics. As the time passed the more her personality was developing, bringing out the quirky and playful side of her. I had to admit, I was a side I was relishing. I brought out the younger version of me that I had locked up that day nearly five years ago. That me that was full of hope and optimism, longing for love and acceptance. She was slowly but surely unveiling Lucy.

"Yeah, sure," Derek mumbled sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. I frowned and slapped his forearm gently.

"Hey, way to make me feel special!" I grumbled. He grunted a laugh through his nose then stood, tidying the pieces of paper before making his way over to Rachel.

"Come on then short stuff, let's get to it." Rachel's smirked grew wider at his words.

"Well that's a hell of an offer." An unladylike snort broke from my throat before I could stop it so I tried to cover it with a cough, but nothing could conceal the amused grin stretching my mouth. Derek grumbled under his breath as he shook his head and carried on walking out of the room. Rachel skipped in and stopped in front of me, bending over to place a chaste kiss on my lips. As she straightened and began turning to leave I stood and pulled her into me, flattening my hands over her abdomen and pressing my nose into the dip where her neck met her shoulder.

"I want a proper hello," I murmured against her skin. She shivered under my touch and turned in my arms.

"Hi," she whispered before claiming my lips. I pulled back slightly before the kiss became too intense.

"That's better," I mumbled. "You should go before Derek gets annoyed." She grinned causing her nose to crinkle slightly.

"I'd rather stay here," came the seductive reply. I swallowed hard and looked in the eyes.

"Me too, but we both have work to do." I hated being so sensible as she sighed softly. With a final peck to my lips she turned to leave, her gaze catching the list of names resting on top of the pile of papers.

"Why do I have a question mark against my name? I am ready you know," she didn't sound defensive or annoyed just hopeful and certain. I flashed her a lopsided smile and perched on the edge of the table.

"I know."

"You don't have to try and protect me." She moved to stand between my legs, her left hand resting on my hip while her right hand brushed against my cheek.

"I know," I repeated. "I can't help it though. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." I wrapped my arms around her waist, my hands clasped at the base of her spine.

"I'll be fine. Trust me. Believe in me enough to let me do this." I glanced up to see big brown puppy dog eyes staring back at me.

"It's not that I don't trust you, or believe in you, I do. Completely. I don't trust them." I implored her to understand with my gaze, pushing every ounce of emotion to my eyes.

"I get it Quinn, I understand. But I can do this. Let me go." Her voice was soft and gentle but firm at the same time. I sighed, resigned, and nodded my head. Her smile was breath-taking as she tipped forward to press a chaste kiss to my mouth.

"Thank you," she whispered against my lips, her forehead tilted against mine. I smiled and rolled my eyes before patting her on the bum.

"Go on, get to training." She leaned back and saluted as she moved towards the door. I looked back over the information on the table and slid from the table to land in the chair. I picked up the lists and began assigning roles for the kids staying at the sanctuary. Everyone needed order and place, just in case things went wrong. After half an hour I stood and rubbed my eyes, trying to get the burning sensation to dissipate slightly, and left the room. I made my way to the training room, hoping to catch a little of Rachel's training session.

"Again."

"I swear Derek, I am gonna kick your ass," Rachel voice drifted from the open door. I smirked at the annoyance I heard. As I rounded the corner and entered the room I saw a pink cheeked and sweaty Rachel, bent over with her hands on her knees, glaring at an amused Derek.

"Don't just tell me you are, do it. Show me what you are made of," he taunted gently. I smirked at the flash of anger in Rachel's deep brown orbs as she pushed off her knees and set herself. Derek moved forward quickly and snapped a punch to Rachel's head. She ducked out the way and spun into a kick to his midsection. He doubled over, leaning into the blow and wrapped his hands around her calf. I winced as he stepped forward and swept out her standing leg, leaving her to land heavily on her back with a grunt. She took a second before rolling forward onto her feet and taking an attacking stance.

Derek moved to the left and she moved towards him, not content to let him circle her. She closed him down with a few swift jabs to his chin then backed away with a soft smile. He scowled at her then launched on the offensive. She managed to block most of his shots but a few snuck through and wore her down. She tried to counter punch, but that lead to more of his blows landing. I could see her eyes getting harder and her anger rising until with a harsh cry she tensed and shot off a pulse, sending Derek flying backwards. He twisted in the air and landed on his hands and knees, sliding a few feet backwards before scrambling to his feet.

"I thought we said no abilities," Derek queried lightly.

"Yeah, well, your power is your strength, so it's not really fair is it?" Rachel shot back quickly. I let out a quiet chuckle at the almost petulant tone in her voice. Her head whipped round to me and she flashed me a quick smile.

"She's got you there Derek," I told him with a smirk. He shrugged at me. "Though I'm guessing she has flung you around before, if your landing was anything to go by." His lips tugged up into a wry smile.

"Yeah, something like that." I laughed and nodded as Derek ended the session with Rachel. She plopped down next to me and leant her head back against the wall.

"What do you think?"

"Well, you've certainly gotten a good handle on your ability now and your technique is pretty good," I commented with a smile. She rolled her head towards me.

"Pretty good? I worked my ass off for pretty good?" I raised my eyebrow at the teasing tone.

"You'll do," I ribbed her. She glowered at me good naturedly.

**-x-**

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Because. I want to be out there with you guys!"

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, attempting to stave off my impending headache.

"Josie, please. I need someone I trust to stay here. Someone needs to be able to take of the kids if anything happens to either of the teams. I need that person to be you." Josie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"But I'm good enough to be out there." I frowned at the whine in her voice, rapidly becoming tired of this conversation.

"You're also good enough to be here. If they launch a counterattack, what then? Who would be here to defend the base if all my great fighters are out there?" She slumped back against the wall and huffed again.

"I guess." I resisted rolling my eyes, instead opting to smile.

"Thank you. Now, there will be a briefing before we go, I'll give the details a little closer to the time." She nodded sullenly then marched off with her head down. I felt Noah slid up beside me.

"I forget sometimes that we are all still kids," I mumbled at him. He smiled reassuringly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Me too. It's weird to think about it." I nodded my agreement.

"How'd the intel gathering go today?" They'd had two days out to try and find out the information we needed.

"Good. I think we should be able to get it together tonight to present tomorrow morning," he smiled. I blew out a breath, puffing up my cheeks in the process. The wait was making me anxious.

"Great. Thanks Noah." He held up his fist and flashed me an expectant look. I rolled my eyes but bumped his hand with my own. He grinned then jogged off towards the tech room. At the gentle rumble from my stomach I went off in search of Rachel and food. In the cafeteria I found Rob sat with Rachel, she was telling him a story. I smiled before joining the line to get some food. Once I had a small plate full I made my way over to them. Rob trailed off as Rachel looked up at me.

"Hey," she greeted, a smile appearing on her face. It was the first time I'd had a chance to sit down with her, aside from a night, for a couple of days. I smiled back as I dropped to the floor.

"Hi," I replied. Rob glanced at me shyly. "Everything okay?" I asked him with a gentle smirk. He nodded quickly as his eyes flicked to Rachel then the ground. "Good. I need you to round everyone up this evening in the atrium. No exceptions. Anyone that can't attend needs to see me before hand to explain why. Can you do that for me?" He sat up a little straighter and focused on me. When I'd finished talking he nodded once and stood up.

"Of course Quinn." I grinned at him. He shot another sly look at Rachel. "Bye Rachel." With that he turned and hurried to a group of kids not too are away. I watched him with an amused expression before moving my attention to the brunette next to me.

"I think he has a crush on you." Her gaze snapped up to me in shock.

"What?" She asked incredulously. "No, he's just a sweet kid." I raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing, choosing to tuck into my dinner instead. "Are you telling them about the attacks tonight?"

"Yeah," I mumbled around a mouthful of food. "Noah said he'll have the last lot of information for me tomorrow morning," I finished after swallowing. "Then it'll be a day or two of going over a few drills and plans." She nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm on Derek's team aren't I?" My eyebrow lifted again.

"Would that be okay?" I queried gently, my food forgotten. She shrugged.

"I'll miss not having you there, but I trust Derek and Steve. And maybe it'll good that we won't distract each other." She took a breath and blew a little hair off her cheek. I pulled her into my side and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I trust them too." I whispered against her ear. She shivered against me and snuggled deeper into my embrace. After a few minutes we stood and Rachel accompanied me to the tech room to retrieve the lists that had been drawn up. I ran through a speech with her a couple times before Rob ran in.

"Everyone is ready," he advised, a little out of breath. I smiled and thanked him. Rachel tugged on my hand and pressed a sweet kiss to my cheek.

"Be brave my big lion." I half rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the dopey grin that quirked my mouth up. I nodded and brushed my lips over her knuckles. We made our way into the atrium and I glanced in to the sea of children, eyes on me expectantly. Some smiled, others looked worried. I found Noah, leaning against a wall to the side with Amber cuddled under his arm. His calming expression settled my nerves.

"Some of you know why you're here. Some of you don't." I raised my voice enough for everyone to hear me. "For those of you who don't, things are changing. We aren't as safe as we once were. Patrols have increased in this area and traps have been set." A few gasps accompanied my words, but generally people weren't too surprised. "With this in mind we have come up with a plan. For the first time we are going to take the fight to them. We will no longer fight in the street then run scared when things don't go our way." I paused to gauge the kids' reactions. The younger ones looked a little scared, the older ones; eager.

"In a few days, two teams will be leaving to launch an attack on two bases. We aim to take down as many guards as possible and retrieve any and all captives they have. For those of you remaining here, you will have roles to play as well. Unavoidably there will be injuries so Claire will need helpers. More rooms need to be prepared for the additional children. There are things for everyone to do. Shortly, several lists will be tacked up outside the cafeteria. These will tell you who is going and who is staying. If you are staying it will tell you where you are assigned. If anyone has any problems, questions or queries, please come and talk to me. If not, get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

I stepped down from the small stage that had been fashioned for me and watched as Rachel made her way around the crowd towards the cafeteria door. Sally pushed through the crowd and threw herself into my legs. I crouched down to her level.

"You can't go. What'll happen to us?" She wasn't crying but she still looked scared.

"I'm not going to be gone long. Promise. There will still be plenty of people here to protect you. Besides, think of all the other kids that are trapped in those bases and need my help. We have to save them." I knew it was unfair to use such an emotional plea to her, but I couldn't think of anything to make her understand. She gazed up at me through thick eyelashes.

"I know. I just don't want to get hurt." My heart melted a little at the small pout forming.

"I won't. I'll be fine. I'll have Noah with me to take care of me."

"Promise?" I hesitated, not wanting to promise something I might not be able to follow through on.

"Promise." She flashed me a big grin then launched her arms around my neck. I glanced at Noah as he stepped closer. The expression on his face told me he'd heard our conversation. I shot him an exasperated look, as if to say, '_What else could I do?_' Sally pulled back and kissed me on the cheek before disappearing back into the crowd of kids.

"Let's set you up in the tech room if anyone has any questions," Noah held out his hand for and helped me up.

"Joy," I muttered with a hint of sarcasm. He just grinned and patted me on the shoulder. With a sigh I relaxed back into the chair Noah scooted forward for me and waited for the rush of questions. About ten minutes after the announcement kids started to flow into the room, though they had the forethought to make a line and wait. I spent the best part of an hour answering any and all kinds of queries. It gave me a powerful insight into their minds. Some of the children were happy that we were finally taking the fight outside and weren't hiding anymore, others were fearful of the consequences. To them I wanted to ask what kind of a life we might have in the future anyway, but I placated them with soft words of reassurance.

I wiped a tired hand over my face and headed to the showers to wash the remains of the day from my skin. A small part of me would love to just curl up into a ball and continue to live this way until things improved themselves. The rest of me knew that would never happen. Food was getting harder to find, patrols were becoming more perilous and there were more and more kids that needed our help. There was no escaping this inevitable next step. As the water poured over me I felt my tense muscles begin to relax and the heat in my abdomen ebb slightly. Under the stress of arranging the hits, the warmth within me had been running high constantly. I grabbed a towel and began to dry myself off, only noticing after a few minutes that I was watched.

"You know it's rude to stare," I informed Rachel with a smirk.

"I know, but can you blame me?" She shot back as she raked her gaze over my body. She paused at my breasts before flicking up to meet my eyes. "Get dressed; I have something to show you." A shiver of anticipation gripped my spine at her words; laced with seductive promise. I pulled my combats, boots and tank on quickly, leaving my laces undone.

"Where are we going?" I asked as she steered me down a little used corridor. It led to a partially collapsed section of the building, beneath the exquisite glass dome. I looked around as we walked and noticed signs that an attempt at cleaning had been made. "Do you do this?" She nodded briefly before ducking under a fallen beam. I followed cautiously, glancing around for any dangers. I stopped as Rachel turned to look at me and gasped at the sight in front of me. A blanket had been spread over a swept section of the floor with a few small candles scattered around to light up the area. On the sheet was a small picnic set up. There were slices of bread with hard cheese, some fairly fresh fruit and some flavoured water.

"Do you like it?" Rachel asked, insecurity written all over her face. I tore my eyes from the pretty scene and stepped forward to press my lips to hers.

"I love it. It's beautiful." She beamed at me then took me hand to guide me down onto the blanket.

"I wanted to do something nice for you before we left." I frowned at her words. They seemed to final.

"We are going to be okay Rach," I soothed. She nodded but wouldn't me my imploring gaze.

"I know. I just wanted to do this." I leant down to graze my lips across her temple.

"Thank you."

"Do you want something?" She motioned to the food and I hummed that I did. We ate slowly, enjoying each other's company and light conversation. After we had finished Rachel rocked onto her knees and began blowing out the candles, plunging the area into darkness before my eyes had a chance to adjust. As I became used to the gloom I noticed we were sat in an oval of dim light. I glanced at Rachel as she pointed towards the ceiling. I cast my scrutiny upwards and the breath caught in my throat. Ringed by steel was a gateway to the stars; inky black dotted with gleaming pearls, twinkling handsomely.

"Thank you for this." I gripped her hand and lay back, tugging her down with me. We stretched out on the sheet for a few minutes, taking in the stunning view above us before Rachel lifted herself on her elbow, her short hair falling around her face.

"You are more than welcome." She leant down and captured my lips with her own, impatiently begging entrance into my mouth with her tongue. I eagerly granted it and moaned as we struck up a frantic dance for dominance. Her fingers began skipping over my skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. I gasped as her nimble digits slipped under my tee and rose to glide over my already pebbled nipples. She rolled over, throwing a leg over my hips to straddle me. My hands found her thighs I pulled her closer; revealing in the taste of her mouth, the feel of her skin, the certain knowledge that this time there was no stopping the exploration.

She dragged me up into a sitting position and quickly dispensed of my top, removing her own at the same time. I took the opportunity to drink in every inch of her that was exposed, looking past the scars and blemishes to see how beautiful she truly was. I closed my mouth around a nipple, teasing and nipping into a stiff peak before moving onto the other one. Satisfied with my work I kissed up her neck to her swollen lips while my fingers slipped beneath the waist band of her cargo pants and over her ass. I kneaded the supple flesh gently, delighting in the quiet gasps and supressed whimpers that drifted to my ears.

"Off." I half requested, half demanded. She nodded quickly then rocked backwards and heaved the offending material from her legs. I followed suit, barely managing to rid myself of my combats before she was crawling up my legs, sliding her knee between my thighs. A moan broke from my chest as she pressed into my centre, sending exquisite shockwaves through my body. Our mouths collided in a hungry and passionate kiss as her fingers replaced her thigh. She traced my slick folds, stopping momentarily to circle my clit then moving down to glide inside me.

"Oh God. You're so hot," she mumbled into my open mouth. I gasped in a breath and nodded, not trusting my voice and concentrated on the excruciatingly delicate feel of her cool fingers moving within me. I picked up the rapid rhythm she set, groaning my contentment. It didn't take long for her to take me over the edge with a languid cry. She held me in her arms as the tremors raced through my body until I had finally stilled. Once I had caught my breath I grinned at her mischievously and rolled us over, settling between her legs happily and intent on repaying her actions.


End file.
